Reporting by Wayne Ford, Athens Banner-Herald
A University of Georgia employee who misused the Flock database system by seeking information on two incidents in which he had personal interests was recently disciplined, according to the UGA Police Department.
The employee, whose name was not released, was demoted from his civilian position in the department and suspended without pay for 20 days.
The unauthorized use of the license plate reader system was discovered during an audit the department periodically does, according to a release from UGA.
The Flock violations occurred in 2025, when the employee sought information on two off-campus incidents: one a hit-and-run crash that involved a family member’s car and the other a theft at a local business, according to UGA.
The employee, a member of the IT staff, “did not have permission from his UGAPD supervisor to use it, nor had his assistance been requested by the other law enforcement agencies,” the university reported.
UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark issued a statement: “This staff member’s behavior constitutes a clear violation of departmental policy, particularly regarding misuse of a law enforcement database and failure to notify the chain of command.”
Not the first unauthorized access of Flock database
The violation is the second one in Clarke County involving a civilian employee in a law enforcement agency.
Recently, Athens-Clarke police terminated the crime and intelligence analyst in the Real Time Crime Center, who misused the Flock system over seven months by repeatedly tracing his ex-wife’s car, according to the police department. She filed a complaint with police, which led to the investigation.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted a probe into the matter and ended it by having the employee arrested on a misdemeanor charge of misusing the Flock system.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald.
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