3 Gwinnett police officers fired, charged for alleged Flock camera misuse

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Gwinnett County Police Department has fired three officers and charged them for allegedly misusing the department’s Flock license plate reader system.

Renee Downer was arrested and charged in May with simple battery and stalking. She was relieved from duty as the police department reviewed the case, police said at the time. She’s now been fired, Gwinnett police said in a press release Friday.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Gwinnett County officer arrested, accused of stalking ex, police say

Two other officers have since been fired and charged. Derric Holmes was charged with six counts of misuse of license plate data, and Matthew Lau was charged with one count of misuse of license plate data, the department said Friday.

The investigation into the former officers is ongoing, and more charges could follow.

In June 2026, the department gained access to Flock’s “new robust auditing system,” which “significantly expands the department’s ability to review search activity and identify usage that may require further examination,” the release said.

In response to the incidents of alleged misuse, Gwinnett police have implemented “sweeping changes regarding access, training and policy” for using the Flock system.

“Now, when a search is needed, a justification must be provided to a direct supervisor, who will evaluate the request and conduct the search if appropriate,” police said.

The department has also mandated that officers undergo retraining on the use of the Flock system, and is reducing the retention period for Flock data from 30 days to 15 days, according to the press release.

“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 in a statement. “When we identified misuse, we immediately acted and made significant changes to limit access and strengthen oversight.”

McClure added, “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.”

Dozens of law enforcement officers in Georgia have recently been fired or charged after their agencies alleged they improperly accessed or used Flock camera data. Agencies across the country are now reviewing use of the Atlanta-based company’s license plate reader system.

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