Banks County sheriff withholds Flock audit records as five neighboring Georgia agencies release theirs

First reported: September 24, 2026 · 1 source

The Banks County Sheriff's Office has declined to release Flock Safety audit, user-access and search records requested by Now Georgia, citing O.C.G.A. § 35-1-22, which exempts certain captured license plate data from disclosure, and stating the information sought was captured by or derived from Flock. Now Georgia argued that administrative audit records are distinct from protected plate images and location data and that exempt fields could be redacted; records custodian Stephanie Rhodes replied that the office had consulted legal counsel and was maintaining its position. Five nearby sheriff's offices — Rabun, White, Habersham, Hall and Stephens — provided substantially similar records in response to the same outlet's requests. Now Georgia says it has filed an Open Records complaint with Sheriff Carlton Speed and had received no response as of publication.

Why this matters

Whether ALPR audit logs count as exempt "captured plate data" or as disclosable administrative records determines how much the public can verify that surveillance systems are being used lawfully. Neighboring agencies' releases show one interpretation, and the differing outcomes set a practical precedent for open-records requests across Georgia.

Key facts

Banks County declined to release Flock audit, user-access and search records, citing O.C.G.A. § 35-1-22 and stating the data was captured by or derived from Flock.
The independent "Have I Been Flocked?" database lists roughly 160,000 searches tied to the Banks County Sheriff's Office, more than 155,000 without a case number, one truncated username linked to over 39,000 tag searches across 406 days, and 25 flagged plates; Now Georgia notes these figures do not themselves establish misuse.
Rabun, White, Habersham, Hall and Stephens counties released comparable records; Stephens raised legal concerns first.
Hall County, which received a request Aug. 10, reported 85 of 758 reviewed searches flagged and later said seven employees accessed Flock for non-law-enforcement reasons — three fired, four resigned during investigation, with referrals for possible charges and certification review.
In Habersham County, internal reviews contributed to the arrests of former Deputy Christian Brewer and former investigator Johnathan Thomas on allegations of improper personal access; the allegations have not been adjudicated.
A U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing titled "Always Watching: Flock's Nationwide AI Surveillance Network" was held Wednesday; Flock CEO Garrett Langley and executives from three other companies were invited but did not appear.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Banks County resists release of Flock audit records as scrutiny grows (Now Georgia, September 24, 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 28, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.