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Former Jackson County Deputy Charged Over 2,000 Alleged Flock License-Plate Searches

Prosecutors say the searches bypassed legitimate casework and a warrant was issued, a development that highlights gaps in oversight of police access to automated license-plate data.

Overview

  • The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office filed criminal charges against former deputy Skylar Thompson for official misconduct and fraud and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
  • A routine audit of the county’s Flock license-plate camera system revealed an unusual pattern of access, prompting the sheriff’s office to ask the Indiana State Police for an independent probe.
  • Prosecutors say investigators found the deputy ran thousands of searches of a single license plate over several months, repeatedly logging the reason as “city planning/traffic analysis” despite not being assigned that work.
  • Thompson is no longer employed by the sheriff’s office, but public records and reporting do not clarify whether he resigned or was terminated as the criminal process continues.
  • The case underscores how automated license-plate reader systems store sensitive data, why routine audits matter, and how it could prompt tighter controls and clearer rules on who may run searches and why.