Documented Incident
Clayton County deputy charged with misuse of license plate reader system after GBI probe
Event: September 1, 2026 · First reported: September 2, 2026 · 12 sources
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it arrested Clayton County Sheriff's Office deputy Erroll Farrell Jr., 40, on a charge of misuse of a license plate reader system. The GBI said the sheriff's office requested the investigation, and that Farrell allegedly ran the system for purposes unrelated to his duties. He turned himself in on a Tuesday and was booked into the Clayton County Jail; the GBI said the investigation remains open. The charge is an allegation and has not been tested in court.
The case is one of a series of Georgia enforcement actions over ALPR searches, and it turns on whether agencies audit their own users and refer suspected misuse to outside investigators.
Key facts
- Erroll Farrell Jr., 40, a Clayton County Sheriff's Office deputy, was charged with misuse of a license plate reader system
- The GBI said the sheriff's office asked it to investigate; Farrell turned himself in Tuesday and was booked into the Clayton County Jail
- The GBI described the investigation as ongoing; no conviction has been reported
- The same week, three Hall County deputies resigned after an audit of their Flock searches, and a Georgia Department of Corrections special agent was arrested on a similar charge
- Reported by Atlanta News First (WANF) and published Sept. 2, 2026
Timeline
- September 2, 2026Clayton County deputy arrested, accused of Flock camera misuse
- September 3, 2026GBI Arrests Clayton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy for Misuse of a License Plate Reader System
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Clayton County deputy arrested, accused of Flock camera misuse (WCTV, September 2, 2026)
- GBI Arrests Clayton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy for Misuse of a License Plate Reader System (AllOnGeorgia, September 3, 2026)
- Clayton County deputy arrested, charged with misusing Flock Safety license plate reader (Alive, September 2, 2026)
- GBI arrests Clayton County deputy for misuse of Flock system (news-daily.com, September 3, 2026)
- GBI Arrests Clayton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy for Misuse of a License Plate Reader System (EIN Presswire, September 2, 2026)
- Clayton County deputy arrested for alleged misuse of Flock system (yahoo.com, September 2, 2026)
- GBI arrests Clayton County deputy accused of misusing Flock system (WSB-TV, September 2, 2026)
- Clayton County deputy arrested for alleged misuse of Flock system (Fox 5 Atlanta, September 2, 2026)
- Clayton County deputy arrested, charged with misusing Flock Safety license plate reader (yahoo.com, September 2, 2026)
- Clayton County deputy arrested for alleged misuse of Flock system (AOL.com, September 2, 2026)
- GBI arrests Clayton County deputy accused of misusing Flock system (WSB-TV, September 2, 2026)
- Clayton County deputy arrested, accused of Flock camera misuse (Atlanta News First, 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 9, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.