SHIELDS OF SHAME | GEORGIA FLOCK ABUSE DATABASE | CASE 019

Dustin Anthony Bozzo: 103 Flock Searches, Three Vehicles and an Alpharetta Officer’s Resignation

Fifty-six searches for a former romantic partner. Twenty-nine for another officer. Eighteen for a borrowed vehicle. An internal Alpharetta Police Department investigation describes how patrol officer Dustin Anthony Bozzo used Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader system to look up vehicles associated with people in his personal life. The resulting 103 reported searches, documented in records obtained by WIRED, led to administrative leave, an investigation and Bozzo’s August 5, 2026 resignation.

The search breakdown: 56 + 29 + 18

WIRED obtained an internal investigation report through a public-records request. According to that report, Bozzo used Flock to search the vehicle of a former romantic partner, then another Alpharetta officer whose vehicle appeared near hers, and later a car belonging to her uncle after she reportedly borrowed it following a crash.

The 103 searches are attributed to the internal investigation described by WIRED. They are not 103 criminal charges. The report describes database queries, and their significance depends on the lack of an authorized policing purpose rather than the raw number alone.

A search justification that did not match the purpose

Flock’s interface reportedly asked the officer to enter a reason for each search. According to the audit history, Bozzo frequently selected Wanted Person or Traffic Infraction. Asked about those selections, he allegedly described them as a convenient quick keystroke. The entries therefore gave the appearance of routine law-enforcement activity, while the internal investigation focused on whether the underlying purpose was personal.

This is a central accountability issue: a dropdown reason is not independent verification. Without periodic review of the case number, investigation context and query results, an inaccurate reason can sit in the audit log until a later investigation uncovers it. In this case, the detailed logs ultimately became evidence of the reported conduct.

How the personal relationship entered the investigation

The records described by WIRED indicate that Bozzo had a romantic relationship with a fellow Alpharetta employee in late 2025. Department documents reportedly describe that relationship as violating the city’s workplace dating rules. After the relationship ended, Bozzo allegedly began searching the former partner’s vehicle and then another officer’s plate after observing their vehicles near one another in search results. The former partner and the second officer reportedly described themselves as platonic friends.

Bozzo reportedly told investigators he initially wanted to ensure the former partner reached home safely and later became curious about the second vehicle. These are his reported explanations, not proof that the searches were authorized. The record does not justify identifying the people whose vehicles were searched or publishing their license plate numbers.

July 20 leave and August 5 resignation

Alpharetta Police placed Bozzo on paid administrative leave July 20, 2026, when a formal internal investigation began. He resigned August 5, 16 days later. Lieutenant Jason Hiott subsequently told WIRED that the department’s Criminal Investigations Division had an ongoing criminal investigation. Police Chief Trent Lindgren said the department acted when it identified the conduct.

As of the reporting and public records reviewed for this article, there is no reliable confirmation that Bozzo was arrested, charged or convicted. An internal finding or resignation must not be misrepresented as a criminal judgment. The status of the criminal inquiry and any prosecutorial decision remain important follow-up questions.

Georgia POST: resigned while under investigation

The original Shields of Shame investigation reports that Bozzo’s Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council profile lists officer key O256663, Alpharetta employment from May 22, 2023 to August 5, 2026, and the separation reason Resigned while under Investigation. The historical September 16, 2026 report also lists File Review Required, a POST investigation opened August 18, status Under Investigation / Assigned, and no sanctions listed at that time.

These entries are a dated snapshot, not a statement of current certification status or a final POST determination. The certification image and PDF supplied for this case are linked below.

A larger surveillance question: access and sharing

The Bozzo case highlights how a single authorized login can be used to reconstruct movements unrelated to an investigation. Separate WIRED reporting also examined Alpharetta’s extensive Flock data-sharing connections with other organizations. Broad access does not establish that Bozzo used outside databases or that any particular partner agency participated in his searches. It does make account permissions, cross-agency search settings, audit trails and export records essential areas of inquiry.

Investigation timeline

1. Late 2025: Personal relationship involving a fellow department employee, according to internal records reported by WIRED.
2. March–May 2026: Fifty-six reported searches involving the former partner’s vehicle and 29 involving another officer’s vehicle.
3. April 5–14: Eighteen searches involving a borrowed vehicle belonging to the former partner’s uncle.
4. July 20: Bozzo placed on paid leave and formal administrative investigation opened.
5. August 5: Resignation while under investigation.
6. August 18: POST investigation opened, according to historical certification record.
7. August 27: WIRED publishes findings based on the internal investigation file.
8. September 16: Historical POST snapshot lists the state investigation as ongoing, with no sanctions listed.

Case documents and images

Original reporting and related resources

WIRED — original August 27 investigation ↗

WIRED — Alpharetta Flock data-sharing investigation ↗

Original Shields of Shame case investigation ↗

Institute for Justice — ALPR misuse database ↗

What records should be requested next?

• Complete Flock search logs for Bozzo’s account, including timestamps, search reasons, case numbers, query results, alerts and exports
• Sergeant Jabbar Braithwaite’s full internal investigation report, attachments, interviews and disciplinary findings
• July 20 leave notice, August 5 resignation paperwork and the department’s final administrative disposition
• Current POST investigation and certification records, including any final sanction
• Criminal Investigations Division case number, status, referral and any charging decision
• Flock access-control settings, account permissions, audit cadence and sharing agreements in effect during March–May 2026

Frequently asked questions

How many searches were reported?

103 across three vehicles: 56, 29 and 18, according to internal records reported by WIRED.

Was Bozzo fired?

He was placed on paid leave and resigned August 5. POST lists his departure as resigned while under investigation; that is not the same as termination.

Was he criminally charged?

No reliable public record confirming arrest or charges was identified in the reporting reviewed. Police had confirmed a criminal investigation.

Was he decertified?

The historical POST record showed an open investigation and no sanctions as of September 16. A current POST record is needed to establish later developments.

Updated October 12, 2026. Reported misconduct is attributed to investigative records and published reporting. Administrative allegations do not establish criminal guilt.