Documented Incident
Hall County audit of Flock searches ends with 7 personnel cases: 3 fired, 4 resigned
Event: September 4, 2026 · First reported: September 5, 2026 · 4 sources
The Hall County Sheriff's Office says its Internal Affairs Unit completed an agencywide audit of the office's Flock Safety license plate reader system on Sept. 4, 2026, reviewing 758 searches and flagging 85 as suspicious. According to Sheriff Gerald Couch, the review produced seven policy violation cases, resulting in three terminations and four accepted resignations, including that of Deputy Brandon Sanders, who investigators concluded ran unauthorized off-duty plate searches. All seven former employees were referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation or the Hall County Solicitor for possible criminal charges and to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which can revoke certifications. No charging decisions have been announced, and the names or plates searched have not been released.
The audit shows that misuse of an ALPR database can go undetected until an agency reviews its own search logs, and that a single office may account for numerous cases. The remedial steps Hall County adopted — fewer authorized users, mandatory case numbers, shorter retention, and a public portal — offer a concrete benchmark other jurisdictions may be measured against.
Key facts
- Internal Affairs reviewed 758 Flock searches and flagged 85 as suspicious; the audit closed Sept. 4, 2026.
- Seven policy violation cases: three employees terminated, four resigned; all referred for potential criminal charges and to POST.
- Announced changes: authorized users cut from 124 to 24, each search tied to a criminal case number, retention reduced from 30 days to 7 days unless evidence, plus a public transparency portal.
- FOX 5 Atlanta reports it has documented just under 50 disclosed ALPR misuse incidents statewide in Georgia, nearly 30 in metro Atlanta.
- Separately, Sheriff Couch faces a Sept. 21 DUI trial; a recall petition was ruled legally insufficient after 2,291 signatures were submitted against a 42,080 requirement, per the county elections director.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Another Hall County sheriff’s deputy resigns over Flock access; 7 cases total (FOX 5 Atlanta, September 5, 2026)
- Another Hall County deputy resigns amid audit of Flock Safety system (Alive, September 5, 2026)
- Another Hall deputy resigns over alleged Flock misuse (Now Georgia, September 4, 2026)
- Another Hall Co. investigator terminated for misuse of Flock system as audit continues (mainstreetnews.com, September 2, 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 10, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.