Habersham County deputy arrested for personal use of license-plate surveillance system

Habersham County Sheriff’s Office deputy Jonathan Thomas was fired and arrested after an internal audit showed he used the department’s Flock Safety automated license-plate reader to track an individual with whom he had a personal relationship. Thomas, hired on 2 December 2024, faces a felony charge for violating his oath of office and a misdemeanor for improper use of license-plate data, and he has been booked into the county detention center.

This incident is the second in weeks, coming after former deputy Christian Brewer was arrested in late July for the same misuse, which led officials to expand their review of system access. Sheriff Robin Krockum announced the discovery of a second unauthorized search and reiterated that any breach of trust is unacceptable. In response, the sheriff’s office reduced the number of personnel permitted to conduct license-plate searches from 39 to 23 designated supervisors, requiring each query to be approved, logged with a valid case number, and reported to dispatch. The department pledged ongoing audits and transparency while the criminal investigation into Thomas continues, with the case to be forwarded to the district attorney.