Two Florida deputies lost their jobs last month after allegedly using Flock to stalk residents, including a 17-year-old girl.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, on August 20, a 17-year-old girl reported an officer for visiting her job at a fast-food restaurant 9 times. He would question her about her suspended driver’s license and “miscellaneous” matters.
The official, Travis Stanton, allegedly referred to her as “queen” and expressed interest in entering a relationship with her.
Without authorization, Stanton also searched ALPR databases for information about the teen and her family.
Stanton eventually resigned from his job on September 25 while being investigated and was arrested shortly after.
Second Case
The same day the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office received the Stanton report, they were notified of an officer misusing the ALPR database.
After receiving the report, officials looked into system audits. Investigators uncovered that Karl Gwynne used the department’s and Florida’s databases 381 times to look into one woman. These searches allegedly occurred between January 2025 and July 2026.
Gwynne was allegedly romantically interested in the victim and kept pursuing and researching her despite her telling him she wasn’t interested.
Gwynne resigned on September 11, the date he was first asked about the allegations.
He was detained around the same time.
Deputies’ Charges
Travis Stanton was charged with official misconduct and accessing computer electronic devices without authority — both are third-degree felonies.
In Florida, if he’s found guilty on both charges, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
Karl Gwynne, meanwhile, was detained on four counts of accessing computer electronic devices without authority and one count of official misconduct.
“They knew they did wrong, especially with a 17-year-old girl. Both of them are clearly wrong,” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told reporters during a press conference on September 30.
Flock Cameras Controversy
During the press conference, Gualtieri acknowledged the controversy surrounding Flock cameras and reaffirmed his support of them.
“It’s not the cameras, [it’s] the people,” he said.
He pointed to the good they’ve done in his community, such as returning dementia patients to loved ones.
But while Flock cameras and other ALPRs have helped solve investigations, they’ve faced nationwide criticism over officer misuse and privacy concerns.
Per the Institute for Justice, there have been 268 cases of ALPR misuse by cops in recent years. 18 incidents occurred in Florida.