Documented Incident
Two Georgia deputies arrested and fired over alleged Flock camera misuse in Baldwin County
Event: October 9, 2026 · First reported: October 12, 2026 · 3 sources
Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee said two current and former deputies, Kevin Steinmeyer and Daniel Edward L. Peavey, surrendered on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, on charges tied to alleged misuse of the Flock automated license plate reader system. Each was charged with felony violation of oath of office and a misdemeanor count of Flock camera system misuse, and each was released on a $2,000 property bond. Massee said investigators verified that the men ran searches without a justifiable reason and without a case number; both lost their jobs, with Peavey terminated by the Twiggs County Sheriff's Office about an hour after that agency was notified.
The case illustrates that unlogged or unjustified ALPR lookups can be detected and prosecuted, and that outside monitoring of Flock audit data — not internal review alone — prompted this inquiry.
Key facts
- Charges: one felony count of violation of oath of office and one misdemeanor count of misuse of the Flock camera system, each; the allegations have not been tested in court.
- Massee said the tip came from a media source working with technical people who monitor Flock camera usage, which he said has affected many agencies.
- Steinmeyer had served with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office since 2002, with a brief gap in 2006; his last day was Oct. 9, 2026.
- Peavey worked in Baldwin County from April 2023 to March 2025 before joining Twiggs County, where he had recently been promoted to sergeant; Massee said the alleged misuse occurred in Baldwin County.
- Twiggs County Chief Deputy Leonard Long said a review found no Flock violations by Peavey in that county.
Timeline
- October 12, 2026Sheriff’s deputy, training officer arrested, fired for Flock misuse
- October 12, 2026Veteran training officer among two arrested in Baldwin County Flock camera misuse case
- October 14, 2026Baldwin County sheriff outlines Flock camera changes after deputies’ arrests
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Sheriff’s deputy, training officer arrested, fired for Flock misuse (The Union-Recorder, October 12, 2026)
- Veteran training officer among two arrested in Baldwin County Flock camera misuse case (WGXA, October 12, 2026)
- Baldwin County sheriff outlines Flock camera changes after deputies’ arrests (Newsbreak, October 14, 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 October 15, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.