Former Fort Pierce police officer Joseph Crutchfield — whose first name USA TODAY’s investigation lists as “Josepher” — was arrested September 8, 2026, on four felony counts related to unauthorized computer access after an investigation into misuse of the department’s Flock automated license plate reader system, WQCS reported, citing Police Chief David M. Smith. Crutchfield was held at the St. Lucie County Jail on an $80,000 secured bond.
Smith said investigators determined Crutchfield accessed Flock 382 times between October 2025 and July 2026 to search the same license plate, mostly while off duty, with no legitimate law enforcement purpose; the vehicle’s registered owner was an ex-girlfriend. After media inquiries on August 7, he was placed on administrative leave and system access was revoked; he resigned August 18 before the investigation finished. Detectives also reviewed other databases (including FCIC, NCIC, DAVID, and TLO) and found additional searches of the same plate without a legitimate purpose, according to the chief.
The department announced tighter Flock rules — prior deputy-chief approval, access limited to lieutenant and above, use limited to forcible felonies and missing/endangered cases, required case numbers, and shorter data retention — and added monthly quality-assurance auditing. Charges are allegations; Crutchfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Officer/Official: Joseph Crutchfield (also reported as Josepher Crutchfield)
Date of incident: September 8, 2026
Sources: