Hall County Flock audit: three fired, four resigned — seven cases referred for possible charges

Hall County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs completed a Flock Safety audit on September 4, 2026, after reviewing 758 searches and flagging 85 as anomalous or suspicious, according to FOX 5 Atlanta reporting on the agency’s statements. The review ended with three employees fired and four resigned while under investigation — seven people total — over alleged unauthorized or personal use of the license plate reader system.

Those publicly named in local coverage include investigators Justin Brown, Michael Atkins, and Melissa Wood (fired) and deputies Jason Orellana, Taylor McArthur, Austin Scott Flanagan, and Brandon Sanders (resigned). Agency accounts described conduct ranging from off-duty plate searches to running queries for coworkers or tracking personal acquaintances. Sheriff Gerald Couch’s office said all seven cases were referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation or the Hall County Solicitor for possible criminal charges and to Georgia POST for certification review.

Couch publicly argued that law enforcement and Flock both failed by lacking early audit safeguards, and the office announced tighter access (cutting users from 124 to 24), mandatory case numbers, shorter data retention, and a transparency portal. As of the cited reporting, the story is firings, resignations, and referrals — not a claim that all seven have been convicted or even arrested.