Documented Incident
Second Colleton County, S.C. lieutenant fired after audit found 62 unauthorized Flock searches
Event: August 31, 2025 · First reported: August 31, 2026 · 4 sources
The Colleton County Sheriff's Office terminated Lt. Kevin Smalls on August 31 after an internal audit found he ran 62 unauthorized searches through the Flock license plate reader system, including queries on vehicles registered to his spouse and acquaintances, according to the department. It is the second such firing at the agency; earlier in the month, another lieutenant was dismissed after an audit attributed more than 2,700 unauthorized searches to him. Sheriff Guerry Hill Jr. said he asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to investigate whether any criminal conduct occurred, and that investigation is active. No charges have been reported.
The case shows that ALPR misuse at a single agency can involve multiple supervisors and thousands of queries before an audit surfaces it, raising questions for other jurisdictions about how often search logs are reviewed and who reviews them.
Key facts
- Lt. Kevin Smalls was fired on August 31 over 62 searches the department said were unauthorized.
- The audit found searches involving vehicles registered to his spouse and acquaintances.
- A second Colleton County lieutenant was fired earlier the same month over more than 2,700 unauthorized searches.
- Sheriff Guerry Hill Jr. requested a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigation into possible criminal conduct; it remains open.
- No charges or findings of criminal wrongdoing have been reported.
Timeline
- August 31, 2026Another S.C. lieutenant fired over Flock camera misuse
- August 31, 2026Colleton County deputy fired for using Flock cameras to track spouse, others
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Another S.C. lieutenant fired over Flock camera misuse (WRDW, August 31, 2026)
- Another Colleton County lieutenant fired over Flock camera misuse (Live 5 News, August 31, 2026)
- Second Colleton County officer fired for alleged flock camera misuse (southcarolinapublicradio.org, September 1, 2026)
- Colleton County deputy fired for using Flock cameras to track spouse, others (Post and Courier, August 31, 2026)
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About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated September 2, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.