DeKalb County police officers can now access live audio and video from security robots patrolling apartment complexes, but only under a new formal policy that limits when they can look and logs every time they do.

DeKalb County Police Chief Greg Padrick announced the policy framework on Aug. 4, weeks after a DeKalb sheriff's sergeant was fired and criminally charged for unauthorized use of Flock Safety license plate reader data. The policy governs how DKPD's Real-Time Crime Center integrates privately owned surveillance technology, including autonomous robots and camera systems already operating across the county.

Dunwoody operates roughly 80 Flock plate readers and 25 live-view cameras under a contract the City Council approved April 13 after contentious public debate. The Historic Brookhaven Neighborhood Association runs 28 Flock cameras at all 14 entrances to the neighborhood. Both cities' residents live within DKPD's jurisdiction for unincorporated areas and mutual-aid responses.

What the policy allows

Under the new rules, authorized Real-Time Crime Center personnel may access live feeds from participating robotic security systems only during qualifying calls for service or critical incidents. DKPD officials said the partnerships do not involve continuous monitoring, according to The Champion Newspaper, which first reported the announcement.

Several apartment communities, including Highlands at East Atlanta, have deployed 24/7 patrol robots built by Atlanta-based Undaunted Robotic Security. The robots offer two-way audio and video that DKPD can tap during active incidents.

"Innovation is most effective when it is paired with transparency, accountability, and a shared commitment to serving our community," Padrick said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

The scandal that forced the question

The policy arrives in the shadow of Sgt. Kabiru Salawu's arrest on July 17. Salawu, a nearly 17-year veteran of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, was charged with felony violation of oath of office and misdemeanor misuse of license plate data after an internal investigation found he used Flock Safety technology without authorization. He was fired and held without bond.

His case was not isolated.

By late July, at least 17 Georgia law enforcement officers had been arrested for similar Flock data misuse, according to Reason. The felony charge carries one to five years in prison.

"The misuse of law enforcement technology or confidential information for any unauthorized purpose is a serious breach of the public's trust and will not be tolerated," DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox said on July 18, when announcing Salawu's firing, according to WSB-TV.

Local oversight questions remain

Dunwoody's April contract with Flock ensures the city owns all captured data and prohibits Flock from selling it. The vote drew loud boos and shouts of "shame!" from residents in the council chamber, Appen Media reported.

During the March 2026 debate, Dunwoody resident Jason Hunyar, who filed roughly 35 open-records requests about the city's Flock relationship, told the council: "The public deserves to know in writing what surveillance technologies the police department uses."

Whether Brookhaven's city government has its own formal policy governing DKPD's access to private surveillance technology within city limits is unclear. The HBNA cameras are privately operated by the neighborhood association.

DKPD's Real-Time Crime Center now integrates drones with infrared and night vision, automated plate readers, Georgia DOT camera feeds, video from participating businesses and the new robotic systems. Flock Safety's own Audit Assistance tool, announced in April 2026, logs over 20 billion data points monthly and retains data for 30 days.

No public comment period or upcoming vote on the DKPD policy was announced. Residents with questions can visit dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/public-safety/police.