In recent months, there has been a surge in reports of police officers misusing automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) sold by Flock Safety to stalk former romantic partners—but details about these incidents are often scarce.

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Now, with documents obtained via a public records request, WIRED can reveal specific details about one extensive Flock-fueled surveillance campaign and the subsequent investigation and fallout.

Dustin Bozzo, who until this month worked as a patrolman in the Atlanta-area suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia, allegedly used Flock 56 times between March and May to search for the license plate of a former romantic partner—a fellow member of the Alpharetta Police Department. (Their relationship itself violated the city’s ban on workplace dating, documents show.) When Bozzo noticed that his ex’s car was often near that of another police officer, he began searching for that officer’s vehicle as well. He did so 29 times between March and May.

Lieutenant Jason Hiott of the Alpharetta Police Department tells WIRED that Bozzo was placed on paid leave on July 20 and resigned on August 5 following an internal investigation. He adds that an “ongoing criminal investigation” is underway in the department's Criminal Investigations Division.

Alpharetta police chief Trent Lindgren tells WIRED that the investigation will likely be finished soon, adding that the department holds itself to a “high standard,” and took “immediate action” when misuse was identified.

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