A Georgia Officer Utilized Flock to Monitor Two Fellow Officers: His Ex-Partner and Her Companion

In recent months, there has been an increase in reports of police officers misusing automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) from Flock Safety to monitor former romantic partners, but information regarding these incidents is frequently limited.

Now, through documents acquired via a public records request, WIRED is able to disclose detailed information about one significant surveillance initiative driven by Flock, along with the investigation and its repercussions.

Dustin Bozzo, who until this month served as a patrol officer in Alpharetta, Georgia, allegedly utilized Flock 56 times between March and May to track the license plate of a former partner—who also was a member of the Alpharetta Police Department. (Their relationship reportedly breached the city’s prohibition on workplace dating, as indicated by documents.) After observing his ex’s vehicle frequently close to that of another officer, Bozzo also searched for that second officer’s car, doing so 29 times during the same period.

Lieutenant Jason Hiott of the Alpharetta Police Department informed WIRED that Bozzo was placed on paid leave on July 20 and resigned on August 5 following an internal probe. He mentioned that an “ongoing criminal investigation” is active within the department’s Criminal Investigations Division.

Trent Lindgren, the police chief of Alpharetta, stated to WIRED that the investigation is expected to conclude soon, emphasizing that the department maintains a “high standard” and took “immediate action” when the misuse was detected. Flock has not responded to requests for comments.

Bozzo did not reply to several requests for comment. Following a message from WIRED, he altered his Facebook profile picture and name.

In civilian life, a breakup might lead individuals to check on ex-partners through social media. However, police officers often have immediate access to Flock—a potent and invasive tool for tracking individuals’ whereabouts. Nationwide, there have been at least 45 recorded cases of law enforcement personnel misusing Flock to look up or monitor current or former romantic partners.

According to the documents, which contain the full internal report by Alpharetta police Sergeant Jabbar Braithwaite, Bozzo claimed he did not intend to intimidate or harm anyone by using Flock. Nevertheless, the events described indicate that even without ill intent, misusing this technology can escalate into serious violations.

Per the internal report, Bozzo confessed to Braithwaite about a romantic fling with a fellow officer that began in late 2025. (That officer is now a civilian employee with the department.) She asserted that nearly all their romantic exchanges took place via Snapchat.

It remains uncertain how much of the relationship occurred during working hours. When asked if he had “ever been romantically involved” with the former officer, Bozzo initially inquired, “At work?” as per the documents.

“To clarify the question, I asked whether, at any time, either while employed together or otherwise, he and [redacted] had engaged in a sexual relationship,” Braithwaite noted. “Patrolman Bozzo replied that they had.”

The former officer also admitted to their sexual intimacy, but both insisted it never happened while on duty. Despite this, their conduct attracted attention from several within the department.

Documents revealed that multiple individuals reported Bozzo and the other officer “frequently spent personal time together while on duty” and were “not fulfilling their assigned duties” during those times. These reports led the police department to separate the officers, who had previously been assigned to the same squad and patrol area, and to issue them a “written directive” regarding “acceptable workplace interactions.”

However, it seems the affair continued. One sergeant noted witnessing the pair meeting in a “dark, secluded park,” as summarized by Braithwaite, around 2:30 am while Officer Bozzo was on duty, but the other officer was not.