A veteran DeKalb County Sheriff's Office supervisor is now sitting in the county jail he once helped staff. Sgt. Kabiru Salawu, a longtime member of the agency, was fired and arrested after an internal investigation found he allegedly accessed the office's Flock Safety license-plate reader system without authorization. He is charged with a felony count of violation of oath of office and a misdemeanor count of misusing license-plate data, and he is being held without bond at the DeKalb County Jail. According to the sheriff's office, the probe started after routine audits flagged irregular use of the system.
A news release cited by FOX 5 Atlanta said investigators concluded Salawu had "engaged in unauthorized use" of the department's Flock Safety system, and his employment was immediately terminated. The release also noted that Salawu had been with the sheriff's office since Aug. 24, 2009, and that the sheriff acted quickly once policy violations were confirmed.
Statewide pattern of LPR misuse
Salawu's arrest lands in the middle of a growing run of similar cases across Georgia. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested five Albany officers this month after an internal audit found improper access to a Flock system, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has tracked a broader pattern of officers tapping automated license-plate data for personal reasons, sparking calls for tougher audits and tighter access controls.
Sheriff Melody M. Maddox, in a statement quoted by FOX 5 Atlanta, said, "The public expects and deserves integrity from every member of this agency." She added that using law-enforcement technology or confidential information for unauthorized purposes is a serious breach of public trust and would be dealt with quickly.
Legal ramifications
The charges carry both internal discipline and possible prison time. Violation of oath by a public officer is a felony under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-1), and misuse of license-plate data runs up against state restrictions and has resulted in charges in other counties, according to reporting by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
What happens next
On the administrative side, the sheriff's Office of Professional Standards handles internal probes and discipline, while criminal allegations head to prosecutors for review. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office contact page outlines OPS duties along with the department's auditing and complaint channels for database access.
Hoodline previously covered the county's June decision to link local cameras to Flock and the public debate over privacy and oversight. See privacy fight over Flock plate cams for background.
Salawu remains in custody at the DeKalb County Jail as the criminal case moves ahead, and the sheriff's office says it will keep the public updated as developments come in. Anyone with information can contact the DeKalb Sheriff's Office or send tips to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
