ALBANY, GA. — Five Albany, Georgia police officers were fired after an internal audit uncovered serious policy violations involving the department’s Flock automated license plate reader system. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) subsequently charged the officers with misuse of license plate data and violation of their oath of office.

The fired officers are Tytianna Davis, Jade Jackson, Nicholas Richardson, Brittney Smith, and Issac Whitus. They were booked into the Dougherty County Jail on July 6, 2026. According to the GBI, the officers accessed the Flock system on multiple occasions and used the license plate data for non-law enforcement purposes.

Nicholas Richardson faced the highest number of charges among the group, with 11 counts of Misuse of License Plate Data. Albany Police Chief Michael Persley confirmed the officers had searched license plates of individuals they personally knew, including romantic interests. The unauthorized activity was detected through upgraded audit capabilities in the Flock Safety system, which triggered an automatic alert to supervisors.

The GBI launched its investigation on June 25, 2026, following an internal audit of the Flock system requested by the Albany Police Department. Flock Safety stated its system’s audit logs were critical in documenting the unauthorized searches and emphasized the built-in accountability features of its technology.

“Any use of the technology outside its authorized purpose is unacceptable and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability expected of every member of the Albany Police Department,” the department said.