Habersham County Deputy Fired and Arrested After Alleged Flock Camera Misuse

A former Habersham County sheriff’s deputy has been fired and arrested after investigators alleged that he used a law-enforcement license plate reader system for personal purposes.

Atlanta News First reported on July 31 that Brewer was accused of searching the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Flock license plate reader system for reasons unrelated to legitimate police work. According to information attributed to the sheriff’s office, the searches involved a person with whom Brewer had a personal relationship.

The agency terminated Brewer’s employment and he was arrested. The criminal charges are accusations, and Brewer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Sheriff Calls Alleged Misuse a Breach of Trust

Habersham County Sheriff Robin Krockum said access to sensitive government information carries a responsibility to the public. In his statement, Krockum emphasized that misuse of law-enforcement authority or technology damages the confidence residents place in the agency.

“This trust is earned every day and can be lost in a single decision.”

Krockum described the matter as an isolated incident within his agency and said misconduct would not be tolerated. At the same time, he defended license plate reader technology as a useful investigative tool, pointing to cases involving missing children and stolen vehicles.

What Flock Cameras Collect

Flock Safety systems use automated cameras to capture vehicle license plates and related details as vehicles pass a camera location. Authorized users can search that information during investigations. The same capability raises serious privacy and oversight questions when searches are conducted without a valid law-enforcement purpose.

The allegations against Brewer highlight a basic accountability issue: a system capable of locating vehicles can also expose private travel patterns when an authorized user abuses access. Logging, routine audits and meaningful consequences are therefore essential safeguards—not optional administrative features.

Part of a Wider Georgia Pattern

Brewer’s case follows several other Georgia investigations involving alleged misuse of automated license plate reader databases. During June and July 2026, officers or employees connected to agencies in Cherokee, Richmond, Greene, DeKalb, Fayetteville, Albany and Conyers were arrested, fired or both in separate cases reported by Georgia news organizations and law-enforcement agencies.

Flock Safety introduced an audit-assistance feature in April that the company says uses artificial intelligence to identify searches that may fall outside agency policy and refer them to supervisors for review. Atlanta News First reported that the new auditing process may help explain why more suspicious searches are now being discovered.

Technology Does Not Replace Accountability

License plate readers can help investigators work quickly, but speed and convenience do not erase the need for lawful purpose, documented access and independent review. Public agencies entrusted with powerful surveillance tools must be able to show who searched, what was searched, why the search occurred and what supervisors did after questionable activity was flagged.

The Habersham County case will now proceed through the criminal justice system. Court filings—not an arrest announcement—will ultimately determine whether prosecutors can prove the allegations.

Sources: Atlanta News First, July 31, 2026; Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.