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Breaking in Thomaston: TPD officer fired over alleged Flock misuse

"Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

— Benjamin Franklin

THOMASTON & UPSON COUNTY, GEORGIA

Protecting Georgians from unchecked government surveillance.

We are a coalition of concerned citizens working to bring transparency, accountability, and reasonable limits to government use of mass surveillance technology — starting with AI-powered license plate readers.

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Breaking in Thomaston

A Thomaston police officer was fired over Flock misuse, police say.

The Upson Beacon reported on October 22 that a Thomaston Police Department officer was terminated August 31 after an internal investigation into her alleged use of the city's Flock system for a personal purpose. The matter has been referred to the GBI. The investigation began after The Washington Post emailed Chief Mike Richardson.

What the records show

Through our open records request, the Thomaston Police Department gave us a copy of Chief Richardson's email exchange with The Washington Post. TPD redacted the name of the officer alleged to have abused the Flock camera system, but did not redact the Have I Been Flocked web address cited in the reporter's email. That public record lists the officer as Anna Hammock, who joined TPD about three years ago.

TPD has not publicly named the officer, and the matter has been referred to the GBI. All misconduct described here is alleged. How we found this ↓

All persons and parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

New on our site We've added the Institute for Justice's national database of license plate reader abuse. Georgia has 92 documented cases, and Thomaston is one of them. See the Georgia cases →
Read the story Our response
~400

searches on two vehicles driven by one person in 2025, according to the investigation. One plate was searched more than 100 times.

"The story raises more questions than it answers. Why hasn't the Chief released the name of the offending officer?"Mary Alice Adams, Azalea Privacy Alliance
Thomaston is one of 92 Georgia cases in a national database of ALPR abuse →

Full transparency

How we found this, step by step

We want every Thomaston resident to be able to check our work. Every record below is public, and you can open each one yourself.

  1. 1

    We filed an open records request

    We asked the Thomaston Police Department for its records about the Flock investigation. TPD gave us Chief Mike Richardson's email exchange with a Washington Post reporter, dated August 25, 2026. TPD blacked out the officer's name in the reporter's email before releasing it. Read the emails →

  2. 2

    TPD left two clues unredacted

    The reporter's email still says the officer was "listed as A. Ham," and it includes a link to a public page on Have I Been Flocked: haveibeenflocked.com/surveillance/542ee594. TPD did not black out either one.

  3. 3

    We opened that public page

    Have I Been Flocked publishes Flock search logs that people have obtained through public records requests. We visited the reporter's link on October 27, 2026. It shows Thomaston GA PD searching one license plate 128 times between March and June 2025, with reasons such as "SUS" and "locate veh," and it lists the operator as Anna Hammock. We saved the page exactly as it appeared. See the Have I Been Flocked data →

  4. 4

    We confirmed she worked for TPD

    On April 12, 2023, the Upson Beacon published a photo from TPD headlined "TPD Introduces New Officers." Its caption names Stephen Reinagel, Anna Hammock and Robert Smith as the department's newest officers. See the Beacon page →

Six Thomaston police officers in uniform standing in front of a brick building. A ring added by the Azalea Privacy Alliance marks the fourth officer from the left, the only woman pictured.
Photo: Thomaston Police Department, published by the Upson Beacon, April 12, 2023. The ring was added by us. The caption names three new officers but doesn't say who is standing where. We marked the only woman pictured because Anna Hammock is the only woman named in the caption. That is our identification, not TPD's. No one else in this photo is accused of anything.

What we don't know

  • TPD has not publicly confirmed the officer's name, and we have not independently verified the data on Have I Been Flocked.
  • The case has been referred to the GBI. As far as we know, no criminal charges have been filed.
  • All misconduct described here is alleged. All persons and parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

If anything on this page is wrong, tell us and we will correct it promptly and say so publicly.

TPD–Washington Post emails Have I Been Flocked data 2023 Beacon photo

THE PROBLEM

Surveillance without oversight.

Across Georgia and the country, law enforcement agencies have installed networks of AI-powered cameras — often known by the brand name "Flock" — on public streets. These Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) don't just watch for suspected criminals. They record every vehicle that passes: make, model, color, license plate, bumper stickers, and the exact time and location — regardless of whether the driver is suspected of anything at all.

This data doesn't stay local. It feeds into a searchable, centralized network that law enforcement agencies across the country can access.

WHY IT MATTERS

Abuse isn't hypothetical — it's documented.

Because this system operates with little regulation and limited oversight, it has already been misused. Officers in multiple states — including here in Georgia — have been accused or convicted of using these databases to illegally track romantic partners, family members, and other private individuals who were never suspected of any crime.

When a surveillance system this powerful operates without meaningful checks, abuse isn't a hypothetical risk — it's a documented pattern.

92

documented cases of license plate reader abuse in Georgia, from the Institute for Justice's national database of more than 200 incidents.

Georgia's record

Thomaston is on the list.

The Institute for Justice catalogs reported cases of officers misusing these cameras: stalking ex-partners, looking up friends and family, and wrongful stops. Georgia alone accounts for 92 of them, and one is ours.

ThomastonAtlantaSavannahAlbanyAthensDeKalb CountyGwinnettHall CountyBibb CountyRichmond CountyCoweta CountyLaGrangeFayettevilleand more
Read all 92 Georgia cases → Explore IJ's live database ↗
6,474

license plate reader networks, covering 82,413 cameras, searched by one officer in a single query. The reason logged: idk

The evidence

Officers are logging jokes as their reason to track you.

When the Electronic Frontier Foundation analyzed Flock search logs, it found police across the country searching drivers' location data with no legitimate justification, typing "reasons" like these into the box meant to document why:

LOLLMAOsexyidk
Read the EFF analysis →

SEE IT FOR YOURSELF

Even the U.S. Senate is asking questions.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, opened a bipartisan hearing warning that Flock's nationwide network — over 120,000 cameras across 49 states — risks "treating every citizen in America as if they're a criminal."

WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR

Not removal. Accountability.

The Azalea Privacy Alliance is not asking for these systems to disappear overnight. We recognize that ALPR technology is already deployed across much of the state. What we're demanding is accountability.

  • TransparencyClear public disclosure of how camera data is collected, stored, shared, and used.
  • Access controlsStrict limits on who can query the database, and for what purposes.
  • Audit trailsMandatory logging and regular review of every search performed.
  • AccountabilityReal consequences for officers who misuse the system — including access used to track romantic partners, family members, or acquaintances.
  • Retention limitsClear rules on how long data is kept and when it must be deleted.

CHECK FOR YOURSELF

Has your plate already been searched?

HaveIBeenFlocked.com is an independent, donor-supported project that has compiled millions of Flock audit-log records into a searchable database. Enter your license plate and it will tell you whether it has ever turned up in a Flock search — no data you enter is saved, stored, or logged.

It works. Just up the road in Coweta County, a man looked up his own plate and found five sheriff's office searches run while his lawsuit against deputies was pending. Read his story →

Check HaveIBeenFlocked.com →

HaveIBeenFlocked.com is run independently and is not affiliated with the Azalea Privacy Alliance. Its data comes from public audit logs and may be incomplete or delayed.

TAKE ACTION & LEARN MORE

Read the record. Then sign on.

Our Mission Statement

The Azalea Privacy Alliance's founding statement on mass surveillance and government accountability.

Read the PDF →

The September 11 Letter

A detailed proposal for regulating Flock camera access — including an independent ombudsman, audit requirements, and public signage.

Read the PDF →

Our Response to the TPD Firing

Mary Alice Adams's October 23, 2026 letter to the editor: credit to the Chief for acting, but why wasn't the officer named, and why weren't safeguards in place before? It renews our call for an independent ombudsman, audits, and public records.

Read the PDF →

Letter to the Editor — September 23

"Flock Cameras Need Regulation, Controlled Access, & Safeguards," by Mary Alice Adams for the Alliance, published in the Upson Beacon on September 23, 2026.

Read the PDF →

The Petition

Support our call for transparency and accountability from the City of Thomaston and Upson County Board of Commissioners.

Download the PDF →

Open Records Request — City of Thomaston

Our formal Georgia Open Records Act request to the City of Thomaston for Flock contracts, camera locations, operating policies, and search-query logs.

Read the PDF →

Open Records Request — Upson County

The same formal request, sent to the Upson County Board of Commissioners, for Flock contracts, camera locations, operating policies, and search-query logs.

Read the PDF →

Organizational Documents

Azalea Privacy Alliance LLC's Georgia Certificate of Organization and Articles of Organization, on file with the Secretary of State.

Read the PDF →

Prefer to sign online? Add your name below and we'll deliver it straight to the City Council and Board of Commissioners.

Your information is used only to verify and deliver signatures to local officials — it is never sold or shared.

BREAKING NEWS

What's happening right now.

Ongoing coverage of Flock and ALPR developments across the country, as cities and states respond.

Thomaston recordsNew

Emails: The Washington Post Flagged a TPD Officer's Alleged Flock Searches

On August 25, 2026, a Washington Post reporter told Chief Mike Richardson that published records showed one Thomaston officer had allegedly searched a single license plate as many as 128 times in 2025. The Chief replied that the 2025 activity "had not previously been brought to our attention" and ordered a review. The search log lists reasons such as "SUS" and "locate veh." TPD redacted the officer's name; the Have I Been Flocked record cited in the Post's email lists the officer as Anna Hammock. TPD has not publicly confirmed her identity.

Read the emails →
Thomaston news

Upson Beacon: TPD Officer Fired for Misuse of Flock System

October 22, 2026: a Thomaston officer was terminated after allegedly running about 400 searches on two vehicles driven by one person, reportedly a friend, for a personal purpose, according to the department. The case was referred to the GBI, and TPD has since added weekly reviews, quarterly audits, and a 13-point user agreement.

Read the story →
Georgia news

Coweta County Man Says Deputies Used Flock to Retaliate Against Him

WSB-TV, October 14, 2026: Tyler Murkerson found five Flock searches of his plate on HaveIBeenFlocked.com, run while his lawsuit against Coweta County deputies was pending. The logged reasons: "info" and "37." He is now suing the sheriff's office and Flock.

Read the story →
News

Oklahoma Judge Rules Warrantless Flock Search Unconstitutional

NonDoc reports on the first ruling finding that searching plate reader data without a warrant violates the Fourth Amendment. The deputy pulled more than 50 sightings of one driver across a month, because her car had California plates.

Read the article →
News

Oconee County, SC Bans Flock Cameras

Reporting on Oconee County Council's ordinance barring the use of county money, property, personnel, or roads to support Flock or other mass-surveillance technology.

Read the article →
News

Clemson's The Tiger: Oconee County Restricts Flock Cameras

Student newspaper coverage of Oconee County Council's 4-1 vote to restrict Flock cameras, including its effect on data sharing with the Clemson City Police Department.

Read the article →
Press release

Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty Lawsuit

WILL's press release on its new lawsuit seeking to prevent warrantless AI-powered Flock surveillance across 11 Waukesha County cities and villages, citing Chatrie v. United States.

Read the release →
Press release

Mayor Dickens Proposes Citywide Camera Standards

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens will introduce legislation to codify permanent privacy, oversight, and accountability standards for license plate readers, following an audit that flagged 79 of 115,578 Flock searches for review.

Read the release →
News

Boston Swaps Flock Safety for New License Plate Readers

After Flock improperly shared Boston vehicle data with outside agencies, Mayor Michelle Wu "abandoned" the system — but a report reveals undisclosed pilots with Motorola and Axon, raising the same surveillance and oversight concerns.

Read the article →
News

Florida Removes Flock Cameras from State Highways

Florida's Department of Transportation revoked use permits for Flock and other license plate readers within state highway rights-of-way, citing a rise in reports of system misuse, and will stop issuing new permits.

Read the article →
Press release

Town of Groton, MA Terminates Flock Contract

Groton's town government announced it will terminate its Flock Safety camera contract and commit to developing a permanent surveillance policy solution ahead of its Spring 2027 Town Meeting.

Read the release →
Video

Sen. Hawley Chairs Senate Hearing on Flock Cameras

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, opened a bipartisan hearing warning that Flock's nationwide network — over 120,000 cameras across 49 states — risks "treating every citizen in America as if they're a criminal."

Watch the hearing →

GET INVOLVED

Surveillance oversight isn't partisan.

It's about making sure the government's power is matched by real accountability. Join us.

Sign up for updates

Get the latest on the petition, hearings, and how the Alliance's asks are progressing.

Contact your representative

Tell the City Council, Board of Commissioners, and state legislators directly that you support these safeguards. Full contact list below.

Contact us

Questions about the petition, the letters, or joining the Alliance.

untrackedandfree@gmail.com

City of Thomaston — Mayor & Council

Upson County Board of Commissioners

State Legislators

Contact information current as of publication. Verify against upsoncountyga.org and cityofthomaston.com before major outreach.

STATEWIDE TRANSPARENCY

Flock cameras across Georgia.

Select or click a county to zoom in and see reported camera locations there, pulled live from OpenStreetMap's public database. We're also building a verified directory of county and city officials, county by county.

Upson County

Camera locations are crowdsourced by volunteer OpenStreetMap contributors (the DeFlock project) — not Flock, the Alliance, or any government agency. Pins may be missing, outdated, or misplaced. Know a county's officials? Email untrackedandfree@gmail.com and we'll verify and add them.