A second Habersham County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been fired and arrested in less than a month after an internal audit found he allegedly used the department’s automated license plate reader system to track someone with whom he had a personal relationship. Former deputy Jonathan Thomas, who joined the department on 2 December 2024, was arrested during an ongoing review of how officers use surveillance technology. Thomas has been charged with felony violation of oath of office and a misdemeanor count of misusing license plate data, according to a statement from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office reported by 11Alive. He was later booked into the Habersham County Detention Center. Thomas’s dismissal is the second case in several weeks involving alleged misuse of the agency’s Flock Safety system. It follows the late July arrest of former deputy Christian Brewer, who faced the same charges after allegedly using the database to track someone he knew personally.
Internal review finds second case
The latest case was uncovered during a wider review by department leaders to make sure access to the database was being used only for legitimate law enforcement investigations. “As we continue to conduct our audit into the use of our Flock system, we have discovered a second deputy who accessed Flock outside of its intended law enforcement purpose,” said Habersham County Sheriff Robin Krockum in a public statement reported by 11Alive. The July arrest of Brewer, who had worked for the sheriff’s office since May 2024, led command staff to expand their checks of the system. In that case, WSB-TV Channel 2 reported that Krockum personally addressed the misuse and stressed the importance of public trust. “The people of Habersham County trust us with authority and access to sensitive information,” Krockum said in a statement published by WSB-TV. “This trust is earned every day and can be lost in a single decision. Any misuse of our authority or the tools provided to your deputies is a betrayal of that trust. Although this was an isolated incident, I will not tolerate misconduct. We will hold our own accountable because the public we serve deserves no less.”
New rules for surveillance access
Following the two cases, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office has introduced tighter rules for accessing license plate data. According to WSB-TV Channel 2 and All On Georgia, the agency reduced the number of employees allowed to conduct certain license plate searches from 39 to 23 designated supervisory officers. Under the new rules, deputies can no longer search the regional database on their own. Every search must first be approved by a supervisor. The supervisor must record the reason for the search and enter a valid, active criminal case number into the system. Deputies must also contact the county dispatch centre by radio so that every search is recorded in the official log. “We will continue to audit our system and hold those accountable who have abused this system,” Krockum said in a statement published by 11Alive. “We will continue to be transparent to the public in the way we conduct ourselves and hold those responsible who violate their trust.” Flock Safety technology uses networks of fixed cameras to photograph passing vehicles. The cameras record licence plates, vehicle make, model, colour and other identifying features, along with the time and location of each image. The system does not directly show vehicle ownership or personal driver records. However, it stores location data for 30 days, allowing authorised users to see where a particular vehicle has travelled across participating areas.
Georgia faces wider scrutiny
The two Habersham County arrests are part of a wider focus on the use of automated camera systems by law enforcement agencies across Georgia. Reports from Hoodline and Now Georgia say internal audits and investigations by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have led to criminal charges or resignations involving more than 20 law enforcement employees across the state over unauthorised searches of surveillance data. Recent cases include four former Savannah Police Department employees who were arrested following an internal review. Three former Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were also charged with stalking and unlawfully keeping license plate information after allegedly accessing records involving personal acquaintances. Similar investigations into camera and license plate data have taken place in Cherokee, DeKalb, Coweta, Greene and Albany counties. The felony charges against the former Habersham County deputies fall under Georgia Code § 16-10-1, which covers violation of oath by a public officer. A conviction can carry a prison sentence of one to five years. The related misdemeanor charge falls under Georgia Code § 35-1-22, which sets rules for the use of automated license plate reader data and prohibits searches that are not for official purposes. The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office said the criminal investigation into Thomas remains active. Once the investigation is complete, the final case file will be sent to the District Attorney’s Office for further legal proceedings.