Georgia Officer Misused License-Plate Cameras to Track Ex and Her Colleague
An Alpharetta, Georgia officer ran dozens of unauthorized searches on Flock's police license-plate system to monitor his ex — part of a nationwide pattern of at least 45 known cases of officers misusing the tool on partners.
What happened: Documents obtained by Wired show Alpharetta, Georgia patrolman Dustin Bozzo searched Flock Safety's license-plate reader system 56 times between March and May to track his ex, a fellow department employee, and 29 more times to track a male officer he suspected of being close to her. Bozzo resigned in August after an internal probe found the searches violated department policy; a criminal investigation is ongoing. He told investigators he wasn't trying to intimidate anyone, just checking she got home safe, but an internal report from Sergeant Jabbar Braithwaite found the searches improper regardless of motive.
Why it matters: This isn't an isolated slip. Wired has now documented at least 45 cases nationwide of officers using Flock's automatic license-plate readers to look up current or former romantic partners. The technology gives police instant, low-friction access to a person's movements — something that in ordinary life would require real effort to obtain. When that access sits with someone going through a breakup, the case shows how quickly routine surveillance infrastructure can slide into personal monitoring, even without malicious intent.
How it works, plainly: Flock's cameras scan passing license plates and log location and time, letting officers search where a specific plate has appeared. The system is supposed to require an officer to log a reason for each search, such as investigating a crime. But Bozzo told investigators he simply picked whichever reason code was the fastest "keystroke" — usually "Wanted Person" or "Traffic Infraction" — regardless of his real purpose. The audit trail that eventually exposed him only works if someone actually reviews it.
The rollout: Alpharetta placed Bozzo on paid leave in July and he resigned in August; the department says it acted quickly once misuse was reported and that a criminal investigation continues. Flock did not respond to requests for comment, and Bozzo has not spoken publicly. With dozens of similar cases already surfacing across the country, accountability so far depends heavily on individual departments choosing to audit search logs and act on what they find — there's no indication of a broader, systemic check being rolled out.