3 Fayetteville officers fired for misusing license plate system | FOX 5 Atlanta

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The Brief<br>Three Fayetteville police officers were fired following an internal investigation into the misuse of the department's license plate reader network.<br>An audit revealed the officers utilized the system to look up personal vehicles belonging to themselves or people they knew.<br>State investigators have been called in to launch an independent probe into the policy violations.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - The Fayetteville Police Department has terminated three of its officers after an internal audit exposed unauthorized searches within a public safety tracking database.

What we know:<br>An internal audit of the Fayetteville Police Department's Flock License Plate Reader system discovered multiple searches that violated authorized protocols.

Investigators found the terminated officers used the database to track their own vehicles or the plates of family members and acquaintances, rather than random members of the public.<br>Department officials stated the searches served no legitimate law enforcement purpose and directly breached agency policy.<br>The three unidentified officers were initially placed on administrative leave during the internal inquiry before being dismissed from their positions.<br>The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has now been called in to conduct an independent probe into the situation.<br>What they're saying:<br>Local officials emphasized that access to tracking technology carries a significant community responsibility.<br>"The department will not speculate regarding the intent behind those searches. However, searches of this nature are subject to strict scrutiny and were determined to have been conducted without a legitimate law-enforcement purpose, thereby constituting a violation of department policy," the Fayetteville Police Department said.<br>Agency leaders stated that their enhanced tracking controls successfully caught the questionable behavior and allowed for immediate intervention.<br>They added that while the allegations involve three members, the actions do not reflect the integrity demonstrated daily by the vast majority of their staff who serve the community with honor.<br>Dig deeper:<br>The firings are the latest in a series of recent incidents involving officers misusing the FLOCK system.<br>In Greene County, Deputy Quin'sha Goss was fired and charged with misusing the system.<br>The recent arrests include five police officers in Albany, who were also charged earlier this week.<br>That's alongside a lieutenant, a sergeant and a deputy in Cherokee County charged last month with violating their oath.<br>What we don't know:<br>Authorities have not released the names or ranks of the three terminated officers involved in the unauthorized database searches. Officials have also not specified the exact timeframe of when these policy violations occurred or how many total searches were conducted.<br>It remains unconfirmed whether any criminal charges will be filed against the former employees as state agents continue their independent investigation. The department has not disclosed the specific relationship details between the officers and the acquaintances whose plates were searched.<br>PREVIOUS STORIES<br>Georgia cops' alleged misuse of Flock license plate tracking data fuels privacy concerns<br>Dunwoody sets 'guardrails' for Flock surveillance cameras use<br>The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Fayetteville Police Department, who provided statements detailing the internal audit and terminations, as well as official investigative updates regarding the state probe.

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