Georgia man sues Flock, sheriff's office over alleged ALPR-fueled retaliation
Summary
A Georgia small-business owner sued Flock and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office for illegally using license plate reader technology to search and track his vehicle without valid reasons. Murkerson claims the sheriff’s deputies misused the system multiple times and that Flock’s software lacked proper safeguards to prevent such abuse.Key Facts
- Tyler Murkerson was arrested in February 2023 for a seatbelt violation, but charges were dropped months later.
- Murkerson sued the sheriff’s office in September 2024 for excessive force, and that case was settled recently.
- After the lawsuit, deputies reportedly searched Murkerson’s license plate multiple times using Flock’s system without legitimate investigation reasons.
- Deputies entered unclear or meaningless reasons for the searches, such as “info,” “37,” or “hehehe.”
- Flock’s software allowed free-text entries for searches rather than requiring official case numbers.
- In August 2026, Flock said it would update its system to require case codes for all law enforcement searches to prevent misuse.
- The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office started auditing its use of Flock’s system after these issues, with three employees resigning during the audit.
- There has been increased criticism and several law enforcement agencies have stopped using Flock over concerns about privacy and surveillance abuses.
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