In recent months, there have been multiple reports of police officers misusing automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) sold by Flock Safety to monitor former romantic partners. WIRED has obtained specific details about one such incident involving Dustin Bozzo, a patrolman in Alpharetta, Georgia, who allegedly used Flock 56 times between March and May to search for the license plate of a former partner, also a member of the Alpharetta Police Department. This relationship reportedly violated the city's ban on workplace dating. Bozzo also searched for another officer's vehicle 29 times during the same period.
Lieutenant Jason Hiott of the Alpharetta Police Department stated that Bozzo was placed on paid leave on July 20 and resigned on August 5 following an internal investigation. An ongoing criminal investigation is being conducted by the department's Criminal Investigations Division. Police Chief Trent Lindgren indicated that the investigation is nearing completion and emphasized the department's commitment to high standards and immediate action upon identifying misuse. Flock Safety did not respond to a request for comment.
Bozzo did not respond to multiple requests for comment and altered his Facebook profile after being contacted by WIRED. The misuse of Flock technology has been documented in at least 45 incidents across the country, where police officers have used it to track current or former romantic partners.
According to internal documents, Bozzo claimed he did not intend to intimidate or harm anyone. The internal report, authored by Sergeant Jabbar Braithwaite, details that Bozzo admitted to having a romantic relationship with the former officer, which began in late 2025. The other officer stated that their communications primarily occurred on Snapchat.
Reports from within the department indicated that Bozzo and the other officer often spent personal time together while on duty, prompting the police department to separate them and issue a directive regarding acceptable workplace interactions. Despite this, the relationship reportedly continued, with one sergeant observing the pair meeting in a secluded area while Bozzo was on duty.
Bozzo claimed the relationship lasted about a month and ended on good terms, while the other officer suggested it lasted several months and that she initiated the breakup. Bozzo's searches for his ex's vehicle began in early March, and he frequently selected categories like 'Wanted Person' or 'Traffic Infraction' when prompted by Flock's system. He explained that this was merely a quick keystroke.
Bozzo stated that he was concerned for the officer's safety, as she often drove late at night. He also searched for her uncle's vehicle after learning she was borrowing it following an accident. His searches for the uncle's vehicle totaled 18 times between April 5 and April 14.
After noticing another officer's vehicle frequently near his ex's, Bozzo began searching for that vehicle as well. He maintained that he was not motivated by jealousy, although he knew the other officer personally. The former partner of Bozzo claimed she was unaware of his motivations for searching their vehicles, while the other officer described their interactions as friendly and respectful.
Bozzo acknowledged that his actions were inappropriate, and Sergeant Braithwaite found no evidence of malice or intent to harm. However, he concluded that Bozzo's use of Flock was inconsistent with department policy and the authorized use of the system.