Cobb County residents confront chief over camera tech

Another law enforcement officer here in Georgia has found themselves on the wrong side of the law, accused of misusing block cameras. This time it's former Covington police officer Michael Bernard Dante Canty. The GBI says it appears Canty used the system for non-law enforcement purposes. They did not say for what or how many times he accessed the system. Investigators did say the 29-year-old has been charged with misusing the license plate reader system and violating his oath of office. And of course he is not alone. Dozens of law enforcement officers around the state have been accused of misusing the tech. Tonight some in Cobb County say they're worried about the cameras in their communities. Tonight the Cobb County police chief tried to calm those concerns at a town hall. That's where we find Fox 5's Christopher King live tonight in Smyrna. Courtney Ross residents sounded off here at the Milford Recreation Center. Some of them support the use of the flock cameras. But many worry law enforcement could misuse the cameras or people with bad intentions could hack the system. I am against the flock cameras. Arthur Paley says flock cameras and other automated license plate readers make him nervous. The fact that these can track our movements far better than other cameras is what's worrying. Flock, we're not the only license plate reader technology out there. Paley was one of dozens of Cobb County residents who crowded a town hall meeting on flock cameras Thursday night in Smyrna. They can see how we use it, what we do with it and then they can make a judgment on their own on that. Right now Cobb police lease 182 flock cameras placed around the county. Chief James Farrell says his department uses the technology to find missing people and track down criminals. It is a useful tool for law enforcement. This as the surveillance cameras fall under intense scrutiny after dozens of law enforcement officers around Georgia have been accused of using the tech for illegal purposes. We asked Farrell what protections has he put in place to prevent misuse. Those policies have been in place. The officers have been trained. We audit and we have a lot of oversight over the system itself and that has helped to prevent some of the misuse in our department. It doesn't outweigh the risks of it. Officers have been accused in Habersham, DeKalb and Cherokee counties as well as in Conyers and Albany. Very concerning. Residents like Jacob Kaler worry that cameras could be used to violate personal rights. The fact that it is a close enough issue that there are debates about it, that there are meetings about it seems like we probably should have had these meetings before thousands of them went up across the country. Now the chief says only trained sworn law enforcement officers and analysts can access the system. He says his department audits the system on a monthly basis. Now a representative from FLOC spoke with members of the audience. He refused to speak with us. We'll tell you what he said to residents coming up at 11. We're live in Smyrna, Christopher King, Fox 5 News. Christopher, thanks.