Johns Creek police operate 56 Flock surveillance cameras across the city. The department shares that data with every law enforcement agency on the Flock system in Georgia, according to its 2025 annual report.

A Gwinnett Daily Post investigation published Sunday, Sept. 20, first reported by Nate McCullough, documented how the AI-powered license plate readers helped solve a New Year's Day killing in Lawrenceville within hours. The same technology also led to an innocent Peachtree Corners driver being handcuffed at gunpoint after his car was misidentified.

The cameras, made by Georgia-based Flock Safety, read license plates and use artificial intelligence to log a vehicle's make, model, color, dents and decals. The company says it has more than 120,000 readers deployed nationwide.

Local program, limited transparency

Johns Creek's camera network grew in phases. The department's 2022 annual report set a goal of adding about 30 cameras. The 2023 report listed a Phase II expansion of 12 more.

The department also launched a Real Time Information Center in 2025. The center uses traffic cameras, open-source intelligence and social media monitoring to feed updates to officers and partner agencies, according to the annual report.

State Rep. Michelle Au held a community conversation with Johns Creek Police Chief Mark Mitchell on Aug. 16 that included discussion of Flock cameras, according to a post on X by Au. No public statement from Mitchell specifically addressing the program's cost, data retention period or privacy safeguards was found in available city records.

Regional results and risks

In Gwinnett County, police reported sharp drops in serious crime alongside the camera expansion. Gwinnett County Police Maj. Jordan Griffin said Group A crimes, including rapes, robberies, vehicle thefts and homicides, fell 89% since 2022 as camera numbers grew, according to a Sept. 11 town hall.

But three Gwinnett County police officers were fired and arrested for misusing the cameras for non-law enforcement purposes. The misuse was caught during an audit. The department cut its data retention from 30 days to 14 and now requires supervisor approval for all searches.

Duluth ended its Flock contract Sept. 6, though the city said it would continue using license plate readers, the Gwinnett Daily Post reported.

State legislation ahead

A special committee has been created in the Georgia legislature to address Flock camera regulation. State Rep. Akbar Ali, a Lawrenceville Democrat, said at the Sept. 11 town hall that bipartisan legislation on the cameras would be a top priority in the next session.

More than 150 U.S. communities have rejected, canceled or deactivated automated license plate reader systems, according to Newsweek, up from 95 in July.

Johns Creek has not publicly scheduled any council vote or discussion on its Flock program.