SHIELDS OF SHAME | GEORGIA FLOCK ABUSE DATABASE | CASE 014

Curtis P. Hoskins Flock Misuse: Richmond County Investigator Fired and Arrested After Surveillance Audit

More than 100 allegedly improper searches per officer. Four deputies arrested in weeks. A surveillance system built to follow suspect vehicles is now the focus of an investigation into its own users. Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigator Curtis P. Hoskins was terminated and arrested in July 2026, alongside Lt. John McKenzie and Deputy Joshua Johnson, after an internal Flock license-plate reader audit uncovered alleged searches unrelated to official law-enforcement duties.

What the sheriff’s office alleged

Richmond County officials announced that Hoskins, Lt. John McKenzie and Deputy Joshua Johnson had intentionally accessed the Flock system for reasons unrelated to criminal investigations, calls for service, intelligence gathering or other legitimate police purposes. All three were fired and surrendered at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center. The sheriff’s office said they were charged with misuse of license-plate reader data and violation of oath of office.

The Institute for Justice’s database of automated license plate reader abuse identifies the Richmond County investigation, citing reporting from the Augusta Press. That secondary account says each of the three officers allegedly misused Flock more than 100 times and that some searches reportedly involved tracking women. The claim about women is attributed to the cited reporting; the public material reviewed does not establish which officer made which particular search or identify the individuals searched. The name “Curtis Hopkins” appears in some secondary material, but the Georgia POST record and original SOS case identify the investigator as Curtis P. Hoskins.

From peace officer to investigator — then terminated

Hoskins’s Georgia POST record lists his career and training history back to 2010, totaling 2,587 hours over 17 years. He was promoted from peace officer to investigator on January 17, 2026. His Richmond County employment ended July 20, 2026 with the notation Terminated. The same historical report lists a POST investigation opened that day.

At the time of the supplied report, the POST record also listed Firearms Instructor and General Instructor certifications as active. Active credentials in a historical snapshot do not establish that POST had closed the investigation or reached a final administrative decision. The supplied PDF below should be consulted for the full certification inventory and dated status.

The earlier Yarbrough case: 1,639 alleged searches

Former Richmond County deputy Jaquarius Yarbrough had already been fired and arrested after investigators reported 1,639 unauthorized Flock searches involving a woman’s license plate across a 28-day period. His case reportedly prompted broader review that uncovered the allegations involving Hoskins, McKenzie and Johnson. The number 1,639 is attributed to the Yarbrough investigation, not to Hoskins. Likewise, the reported “more than 100” allegation for each of the three later officers should not be presented as a verified audit-log total until the logs are obtained.

How large is Augusta’s surveillance network?

Richmond County officials publicly promoted Flock as a crime-fighting tool in 2021, when reporting described two sheriff-controlled cameras at undisclosed high-crime choke points. In 2023, Augusta announced $1,255,017.50 in Georgia Public Safety and Community Violence Reduction Grant funding for the sheriff’s Axon body-camera and Flock license-plate-reader initiatives. Augusta’s FY2026 budget discussions included restoration of $1 million for Body & Flock Camera Contracts. Those figures concern funding and contract budget lines; they are not proof of the number of cameras owned by RCSO.

A community ALPR mapping project has identified hundreds of camera locations within 25 miles of Augusta, but those locations may belong to different police departments, neighborhoods and private entities. It would be inaccurate to call such a map the sheriff’s official inventory. The Atlas of Surveillance also records that Richmond County scanned approximately 465,010 plates using Vigilant Solutions technology in 2017, demonstrating that vehicle surveillance in Augusta predates the Flock deployment.

Why the audit logs matter

Flock’s automated license plate readers record vehicle sightings tied to time and location. With search access, authorized personnel can reconstruct vehicle movements or investigate leads. That capability also creates an abuse risk when searches are driven by personal curiosity or relationships. A complete audit can identify the account used, the time, the plate or vehicle parameters, stated search reason, any case number and whether data was exported or an alert was created. The public cannot assess the full Richmond County pattern without those records.

Investigation timeline

1. 2010 onward: Hoskins’s documented law-enforcement training history begins.
2. 2021: Richmond County publicly discusses early Flock deployment and expansion.
3. 2023: Augusta announces $1,255,017.50 in state funding for Axon and Flock initiatives.
4. January 17, 2026: Hoskins promoted to investigator, per POST.
5. June 2026: Yarbrough’s alleged 1,639 searches trigger wider scrutiny.
6. July 20, 2026: Hoskins’s employment ends as Terminated; POST investigation opens.
7. July 2026: Hoskins, McKenzie and Johnson arrested and fired after the Flock investigation.
8. October 2026: Final court and POST outcomes remain to be confirmed.

Documents and images

Sources and related investigations

Original Shields of Shame Hoskins investigation ↗

SOS — four Richmond County deputies arrested ↗

Institute for Justice — ALPR abuse database ↗

Augusta Chronicle — local reporting archive ↗

Augusta-Richmond County government — budgets and public records ↗

What Shields of Shame should request next

• Complete Flock query logs for Hoskins, McKenzie, Johnson and Yarbrough, including query reasons and case references
• Audit findings, flagged-query criteria and the sequence connecting the Yarbrough investigation to later arrests
• Administrative interview recordings, disciplinary findings and termination notices
• Arrest warrants, charging affidavits and updated court docket records
• Current Georgia POST investigation and certification-status records
• Flock user-access roster, camera inventory, retention policy, vendor contracts and annual search totals
• 2023 grant spending records and FY2026 Flock contract invoices

Frequently asked questions

Is the investigator’s name Hoskins or Hopkins?

The supplied Georgia POST record identifies Curtis P. Hoskins. Some secondary accounts use Hopkins, which should not be treated as the verified spelling.

Was Hoskins fired and arrested?

Yes. Richmond County announced his termination and arrest in July 2026 after a Flock misuse investigation.

Did Hoskins make more than 100 improper searches?

The Institute for Justice database cites reporting alleging more than 100 searches by each of three officers. The underlying individual audit export has not been verified in this article.

Was Hoskins convicted?

No final criminal disposition was independently verified. Charges are allegations and Hoskins is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Updated October 12, 2026. Reported search counts and motives are attributed to their sources, not treated as adjudicated facts.