An Anderson County, South Carolina deputy resigned while under internal investigation for using the department's Flock Safety license plate reader system for an unauthorized purpose, according to the sheriff's office. Eric Center stepped down during the probe, and prosecutors have since said no criminal charges will be filed.
The sheriff's office said Center used Flock for a purpose outside his official duties, as reported by WYFF. After reviewing the matter, the 10th Circuit Solicitor's Office advised that Center's conduct constituted a violation of agency policy but did not warrant a criminal investigation, and the outlet reported that criminal charges will not be filed. The sheriff's office met with the solicitor's office to discuss the circumstances before that determination was reached.
Why No Charges Followed
Why No Charges Followed The outcome reflects a legal gap that has surfaced in South Carolina Flock misuse cases: state law currently lacks specific statutory restrictions on how officers access automated license plate reader data, leaving oversight largely dependent on internal agency policy, according to a Fox Carolina News investigation. That gap is part of the context for cases involving unauthorized searches, some of which have numbered in the thousands. South Carolina's Computer Crime Act does allow for tiered penalties, up to felony charges carrying five years in prison and $50,000 in fines, for unauthorized access to government databases, as Hoodline has reported.
South Carolina has no laws governing access to Flock data, and a new Flock case-code requirement has been reported, per WLTX. Audit trails have also featured in investigations.
Part of a Statewide Pattern
Center's resignation lands amid a rapid string of similar cases across South Carolina. In August, the Colleton County Sheriff's Office fired two lieutenants, Ruben Carter and Kevin Smalls, after internal audits found they had run thousands of unauthorized Flock searches for personal reasons, including searches involving himself, fellow deputies, friends, and former associates, according to South Carolina Public Radio. Hoodline previously reported that a Colleton County lieutenant was fired after an audit uncovered 2,700 unauthorized camera searches.
The scale of South Carolina's ALPR network helps explain why misuse is drawing scrutiny. The state's license plate reader database logs nearly 150 million vehicle scans a year, and 99.8% of those scans have no connection to any criminal activity, per an analysis from the Cato Institute. Anderson County's sheriff's office previously conducted an internal misconduct probe in October 2025, charging former deputy Darin Mattison Jr. with misconduct in office and breach of trust over timecard manipulation, according to Fox Carolina News, showing the agency has pursued internal accountability cases before.
Legislative and Local Pushback Building
Lawmakers in Columbia are attempting to close the statutory gap that let cases like Center's resolve without criminal charges. South Carolina Senate Bill 447, introduced during the 2025-2026 session, would establish the state's first statutory framework defining authorized law enforcement uses, data retention limits, and access rules for ALPR systems, according to South Carolina Legislature Online.
Local governments in the Upstate are moving too. The Oconee County Council voted 4-1 in August to advance a Protection from Mass Surveillance Ordinance aimed at barring county funds and property from supporting Flock-style cameras, as Hoodline reported when it covered the council's move to halt a sheriff's contract fight. Public frustration has also turned physical: Flock cameras in Pageland were cut from poles and cameras in Winona were stolen during 2026, South Carolina Public Radio reported.
A Washington Post investigation found that at least 50 officers had been accused of or charged with Flock misuse, placing Center's resignation within a much larger reckoning playing out from South Carolina to Georgia and beyond.
