GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Sept. 9, 2026 — On Friday, the Gwinnett County Police Department announced that it had charged three officers and terminated their employment as part of an ongoing investigation into the misuse of the Flock license plate reader system.
According to a press release from GCPD, Renee Downer was arrested and charged in May with simple battery and stalking. Derric Holmes has been charged with six counts of misuse of license plate data, while Matthew Lau has been charged with one count of misuse of license plate data.
The investigations remain active, and additional charges may follow.
“Since implementing Flock in 2019, the County has continually explored ways to improve its use and increase safeguards to prevent abuse,” GCPD announced. “In June 2026, the department gained access to Flock’s new robust auditing system. The system significantly expands the department’s ability to review search activity and identify usage that may require further examination.”
In response to the incidents, GCPD said sweeping changes regarding access, training and policies surrounding the use of Flock have been implemented.
Under the new procedures, when a search is needed, a justification must be provided to a direct supervisor. The supervisor will evaluate the request and conduct the search if appropriate. In addition, all officers are required to undergo retraining on the use of the Flock system, and the retention period for Flock data has been reduced from 30 days to 15 days.
Although no incidents of misuse have been found in the City of Loganville or Walton County, Loganville Police Chief M.D. Lowry and Walton County Sheriff Keith Brooks told residents at TRIAD on Friday that several safety measures have been implemented. Regular audits are being conducted, and the retention period has been reduced to seven days, except when data needs to be retained as evidence for a specific case. In addition, access to information must be linked to a specific case.
In Gwinnett County, officers will continue to receive Flock alerts related to vehicles associated with criminal activity, missing and endangered persons, and other public safety concerns.
“We understand why the public expects us to closely monitor who accesses this technology and how it is being used,” Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said. “When we identified misuse, we immediately acted and made significant changes to limit access and strengthen oversight. Flock is an extremely important crime-fighting tool, and misuse of this technology will not be tolerated. We will continue to evaluate our safeguards while making sure our officers and detectives have access to technology that has helped us solve violent crimes and locate people in danger.”
GCPD said Flock has played an important role in some of the department’s most serious and time-sensitive incidents by helping identify and locate vehicles connected to homicides, shootings, child kidnappings, missing and endangered persons, individuals with dementia, and suspects who pose an immediate threat.
The department said it will continue to evaluate how the technology is used, strengthen safeguards and hold itself accountable when those standards are violated.
Editor’s Note: Please note an arrest or charge does not constitute a conviction.
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