Sandy Springs officer terminated after using city’s Flock camera system for personal gain, officials say

Written by: A. Smith

Published November 3, 2025 @ 1:20 PM ET

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – A Sandy Springs reserve sergeant has been terminated following an internal investigation that found he allegedly misused the city’s camera system for personal gain and may have engaged in corporate espionage, officials said.

Reserve Sgt. Francis Esposito was accused of using his city-issued Flock Safety camera login to run license plates on multiple individuals and allegedly transferring that data to a private company, Signal 8 Systems, where he was also employed, according to investigators.

Sandy Springs, like many other cities, uses Flock cameras — a system that provides real-time monitoring of streets and includes automatic license plate recognition technology.

The city’s investigation determined Esposito’s actions may have violated multiple Georgia laws, including corporate espionage. When questioned about the allegations, Esposito refused to answer investigators’ questions and later resigned, though Sandy Springs officially lists him as terminated.

Signal 8 said Esposito acted independently and that the company never instructed him to use law enforcement databases. “At no point did Mr. Esposito share, transmit, or transfer data from Flock Safety or the City of Sandy Springs to Signal 8 Systems,” the company said in a statement.

A whistleblower, a former Signal 8 employee, told investigators that Flock data had been used for beta testing and product validation, sparking the city’s investigation.

The city has referred Esposito’s case to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), which could permanently revoke his certification to work in law enforcement.