Habersham County deputy arrested and fired for misuse of Flock cameras, license plate data, sheriff says

A Habersham County deputy is out of a job and under arrest after the sheriff's department said they were caught accessing the county's Flock camera system for personal purposes.

Authorities say Deputy Christian Brewer is the latest member of law enforcement across Georgia accused of using the license plate reader system without authorization.

According to the Habersham County Sheriff's Office, an internal audit found Brewer had accessed the system and used license plate data for non-law enforcement purposes. While details about the situation are limited, investigators say that it was an isolated incident involving a person who Brewer had a personal relationship with.

Following the audit, Brewer's employment was terminated, he was arrested, and was charged with felony violation of oath of office and two counts of misdemeanor misuse of license plate data. Officials say Brewer had been with the agency since May 2024.

"The people of Habersham County trust us with authority and access to sensitive information. This trust is earned every day and can be lost in a single decision. Any misuse of our authority or the tools provided to your deputies is a betrayal of that trust," Sheriff Robin Krockum said. "Although this was an isolated incident, I will not tolerate misconduct. We will hold our own accountable because the public we serve deserves no less."

The investigation remains ongoing and will be turned over to the District Attorney's Office for review and prosecution once finished.

Despite the incident, the sheriff's office emphasized the positive uses of the Flock license plate cameras, saying that it has been used in the past to find missing children and adults and recover stolen vehicles.

"Although the choice of this deputy casts a bad light on the use of this technology, Flock continues to be a valuable tool for law enforcement that has been proven to save lives," Krockum said.

In the last two months, authorities have announced cases involving three Cherokee County sheriff's deputies, five Albany police officers and three Richmond County officers, and others accused of misusing Georgia's license plate reader databases.