CMPD officer suspended for using Flock cameras to help an alleged drug dealer

Kaci Jones,

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte police officer is suspended after he’s accused of misusing law enforcement cameras.

Police say an alleged drug dealer asked 25-year-old CMPD officer Seth Elliott to look into a potential buyer. Investigators say Elliott used the Flock Camera system and CJ Leads.

Investigators say Elliott searched the databases that are only accessible to law enforcement and found the plates were registered to an undercover officer. Investigators say Elliott shared the info with the alleged drug dealer. He’s charged with a misdemeanor offense of illegally accessing a computer.

“This is showing that if you use a tool like Flock or other tools, you should be held accountable regardless of whether you have a badge or you don’t,” Garrett Langley, Flock CEO said.

The American Civil Liberties Union has raised concerns about privacy, data collection and misuse. The Flock CEO Garrett Langley previously addressed accountability after officers in Georgia were accused of illegally using the cameras earlier this month.

Langley says Flock uses a tool to alert authorities of potential misuse by monitoring where officers open the camera system.

“The audit assistance tool is flagging potential abnormal activity so that in an audit review, you can know where to start. When we started the company nine years ago, we knew this could be effective,” Langley said.

CMPD does not have a direct deal with Flock, but they do have access to cameras in the area for investigative purposes. Although advocates raise privacy concerns about the cameras, the CEO believes safeguards are sufficient.

“I would say it’s been way more effective than anyone expected,” Langley said. “We support over almost 7,000 law enforcement agencies, over a million crimes a year. Our responsibility to safeguard that technology has gone up.”

Elliott is suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case. He is scheduled to appear in court in late August. The SBI is leading the investigation.