SHIELDS OF SHAME | GEORGIA FLOCK ABUSE DATABASE | CASE 027
Jason Roberto Orellana: Hall County Deputy Ran 10 Unauthorized Flock Searches for Colleague Without Access
She could not access the Flock system herself. Investigators say he searched it for her anyway. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office reported that Uniform Patrol Deputy Jason Roberto Orellana performed 10 unauthorized searches at the request of Jail Division Deputy Taylor McArthur, who lacked permission to use the system. Both resigned during the agency’s expanding Flock audit.
What is established — and what remains unresolved
Agency finding: An internal investigation determined Orellana performed 10 unauthorized Flock searches for a colleague who lacked access. Reported resignation: August 26, 2026. Colleague: Taylor McArthur, who resigned August 27. Criminal case: No Orellana arrest or charge was established in the September 1 reporting reviewed for this article. POST: The supplied September 16 historical profile reportedly continued to show active employment and good standing. This discrepancy needs updated records, not speculation.
How the alleged access workaround operated
According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office account published September 1, 2026, McArthur was assigned to the Jail Division and did not have access to Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader database. Investigators said she provided Orellana with information about people known to her and asked him to run searches. Orellana, assigned to Uniform Patrol, reportedly conducted 10 searches the agency deemed unauthorized.
The important distinction is between having valid credentials and having a legitimate reason to search. An employee’s technical ability to enter a plate number does not mean every search is authorized. A system that restricts one user’s account can still be bypassed if another employee searches on that person’s behalf. The original audit logs, entered search reasons and communications between the employees could show how the alleged arrangement worked.
The Sheriff’s Office did not publicly identify the searched people, the dates of individual searches, whether location histories were returned, or whether screenshots or results were shared. None of those details should be invented.
Two resignations, one linked investigation
Orellana resigned on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, while under investigation. McArthur resigned Thursday, August 27, the day she learned she was under investigation for policy violations. Orellana had served the Hall County Sheriff’s Office since April 2019, while McArthur had worked there since April 2023. The agency said the matters would be referred to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council for review.
Resignation is an employment event, not a criminal conviction or a completed POST disciplinary sanction. The complete personnel files and final administrative findings are needed to establish how each departure was classified, whether the allegations were sustained and whether any further action occurred.
The September 16 POST discrepancy
A Georgia POST profile obtained by Shields of Shame and generated September 16, 2026 reportedly still showed Orellana as actively employed, in good standing, with no listed sanctions or investigations. Yet Hall County had publicly reported his August 26 resignation. The profile also reportedly included training dated August 31, five days after that resignation.
These records appear inconsistent, but the reason is not yet known. Possible explanations include delayed agency reporting, processing dates rather than actual attendance dates, retrospective training entries, or other administrative corrections. The discrepancy does not establish that Orellana remained on duty, received unauthorized training credit or engaged in additional misconduct.
The next records request should obtain the full POST event history, employment separation notice, training attendance roster, course completion dates and the agency’s transmission or correction logs. A current POST profile is also necessary before describing his present certification status.
Examine the supplied Georgia police training record PDF ↗
Hall County’s wider Flock audit
Orellana and McArthur were not the only employees named in the agency’s 2026 audit. Hall County had already terminated investigators Justin Brown and Michael Atkins after alleging unauthorized Flock searches. Another deputy, Austin Scott Flanagan, resigned August 27 after investigators determined he made two personal-purpose searches. Flanagan was also under investigation following a separate arrest involving alleged harassing phone calls. These are distinct cases with different facts and potential outcomes.
On September 30, 2026, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that it arrested former Hall County investigator Justin Brown on two counts of Misuse of a License Plate Reader System and two counts of Violation of Oath of Office. The GBI said Hall County had requested its investigation on August 18 following an internal Flock audit. Brown’s criminal charges should not be attributed to Orellana or McArthur.
Hall County’s multiple cases make its audit process a public-interest issue: how often were logs examined, how were suspicious searches flagged, who reviewed them, and did the agency detect patterns before outside reporting or internal complaints?
Timeline
- April 2019: Orellana begins Hall County Sheriff’s Office employment, according to agency reporting.
- April 2023: McArthur begins employment with the agency.
- August 18, 2026: Hall County requests a GBI investigation in the separate Justin Brown matter following an internal Flock audit.
- August 26: Orellana resigns while under investigation for 10 unauthorized searches.
- August 27: McArthur resigns after notification of investigation; Flanagan also resigns.
- August 31: Date of a training entry reportedly appearing in Orellana’s later POST profile; the underlying completion and entry dates require verification.
- September 1: Sheriff’s Office publicly describes the three resignations and ongoing audit.
- September 16: Historical POST snapshot reportedly still lists Orellana as active and in good standing.
- September 30: GBI announces arrest of former investigator Justin Brown in a separate Flock misuse case.
- October 12: Current POST status, final agency findings and any Orellana criminal disposition remain to be independently verified.
Why the audit logs matter
Flock Safety license plate readers record plate identifiers, times and camera locations. Retained observations can reveal vehicle movements. The relevant evidence in this case is not merely whether Orellana logged into the system but which plates he searched, when he searched them, what official purpose he entered, what data the system returned and whether he transmitted results to McArthur.
Ten unauthorized searches could represent repeated inquiries about one person or separate inquiries involving multiple people; the agency’s announcement does not specify. Nor does it establish that every search returned a vehicle sighting. Those distinctions are essential for assessing the actual intrusion.
Original assets and documents
Reporting and official records
Hall County Sheriff’s Office statement reproduced by WGTJ, September 1 ↗
CBS Atlanta — Orellana, McArthur and Flanagan resignations ↗
Atlanta News First — audit and resignations ↗
FOX 5 Atlanta — expanded Hall County Flock investigation ↗
GBI — September 30 arrest of Justin Brown, separate case ↗
Institute for Justice — ALPR misuse database ↗
Targeted Georgia Open Records requests
- Complete Orellana Flock audit history, including the 10 searches, timestamps, plates, search reasons, associated case numbers, returned results and exports
- Flock account provisioning and permission records for Orellana and McArthur, including McArthur’s lack of authorized access
- Communications or messages requesting the searches, subject to lawful privacy redactions
- Internal-affairs files, interviews, final findings, resignation letters and separation reports for both employees
- Audit alerts, supervisory review logs, first detection date and actions taken before the resignations
- POST employment change submissions, September 16 historical record, current certification profile and any later investigative or disciplinary action
- August 31 training attendance, course dates, credit posting and training-provider verification
- Hall County Flock policies, user training, data retention, acceptable use and disciplinary procedures
Frequently asked questions
How many unauthorized searches did Orellana make?
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office said its internal investigation determined he made 10 unauthorized Flock searches at McArthur’s request.
Did Taylor McArthur have Flock access?
According to the Sheriff’s Office, she did not. Investigators said she asked Orellana to search for information about people she knew.
Were Orellana and McArthur arrested?
The September 1 reporting described their resignations and internal investigations, not arrests. Criminal charges against either person have not been independently established for this update.
Why did POST still list Orellana as active?
The cause of the reported September 16 discrepancy is not established. A current employment history, submission records and training audit are necessary.
Was his certification revoked?
No final revocation was established from the supplied historical training record or the reporting reviewed here.
Updated October 12, 2026. This report distinguishes agency investigative findings, allegations, dated POST records and separate criminal cases. It does not imply a conviction where none has been verified.