SHIELDS OF SHAME | GEORGIA FLOCK ABUSE DATABASE | CASE 016

Daniel A. Lindsay Flock Misuse: Hahira Officer Faces 12 Charges After License Plate Reader Audit

WHO WAS HE SEARCHING? That is the unanswered question at the center of the Hahira Police Department’s Flock investigation. Former officer Daniel A. Lindsay was arrested August 31, 2026, after an internal review allegedly found he had used the city’s automated license plate reader system for non-work-related searches. His Georgia POST employment history, meanwhile, raises additional questions about prior disciplinary scrutiny and the screening of experienced officers.

An audit uncovered alleged personal searches

Hahira Police said an audit of its Flock Safety system revealed searches unrelated to legitimate police duties. After the department concluded some conduct could violate criminal law, the matter was referred for further investigation. WALB reported that Lindsay was arrested August 31 and charged with 12 offenses: six alleged violations of Georgia’s license plate data restrictions and six alleged violations of his public oath. The existence of six misuse counts should not automatically be interpreted as proof of exactly six total searches; a charging count and a system query are different measures.

Hahira Police Chief Stryde Jones publicly described personal use of the system as a breach of public trust and said the department would examine policies, user access, audits and training. Officials did not publicly disclose the queried license plates, individuals involved, alleged motive, total number of searches or whether alerts and exports were created.

Terminated August 18. Arrested August 31.

The historical Georgia POST profile described in the original Shields of Shame investigation lists Lindsay’s employment with Hahira as ending August 18, 2026 — Terminated. WALB’s jail reporting places his arrest 13 days later, on August 31. This gap warrants scrutiny, but the dates alone do not establish when Hahira first learned of the searches, when the audit was completed or when a criminal referral was made. Internal emails, investigation intake records and audit reports could reconstruct the sequence.

The September 11 POST snapshot reportedly showed File Review Required and an investigation opened September 7 with the status Awaiting Acceptance. These are dated administrative entries, not a final finding or proof of permanent decertification.

A career that spanned several Georgia agencies

According to the historical POST record reviewed by Shields of Shame, Lindsay worked for the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office and Moultrie Police Department, where he advanced through corporal, sergeant and lieutenant ranks. His later employment included the Grady County Sheriff’s Office, Brooks County School Police, Quitman Police Department and Hahira Police. His credentials reportedly included supervisory and instructor qualifications. The complete certification report is linked below for readers to inspect rather than relying on abbreviated summaries.

2019: Moultrie Police investigation and resignation in lieu of termination

The earlier POST case summary described in the original Shields of Shame investigation concerns a 2019 Moultrie Police internal-affairs inquiry. The department reportedly received allegations May 1 about inappropriate communications involving Lindsay and another officer’s mother-in-law. Investigators reviewed Facebook Messenger exchanges described in the administrative summary as sexually explicit, including messages and photographs. According to that account, Lindsay was notified May 13 of disciplinary action under the agency’s code of conduct and was told termination would follow May 15. His POST employment record lists the May 2019 departure as Resigned in Lieu of Termination.

This is an earlier, separate administrative matter, not evidence that the 2026 Flock allegations occurred or that any person involved in 2019 was a subject of the 2026 database searches. Readers should consult the original documents, including the administrative findings and any response or consent order, to distinguish allegations from findings and outcomes.

An even older POST document: the 2000 case summary and consent order

Shields of Shame is also publishing a document labeled 2000 case summary and consent order. The full contents of this supplied PDF were not independently extracted during this update; its exact allegations, findings, sanctions and relationship to Lindsay’s later employment should be established from the document itself before drawing conclusions. The case file is linked below as a primary-record lead, not summarized as a proven disciplinary outcome.

A separate published Georgia Court of Appeals decision, State v. Lindsay, No. A02A1184 (May 21, 2002), discusses a former Colquitt County-area officer named Daniel Lindsay, allegations dating to 1999 and procedural protections during grand-jury testimony. The appellate court affirmed exclusion of testimony obtained without applicable procedural rights. That decision does not establish a conviction. Because the opinion does not independently verify that the named officer is the same Daniel A. Lindsay in the Hahira case, it is presented as a research lead pending confirmation through POST identifiers and underlying records.

Five supplied exhibits

What we still do not know

Hahira has not publicly identified the plates or people Lindsay allegedly searched. Nor has it released the full query history, entered reasons or case numbers, search dates, audit alerts, possible hotlist entries or results shared outside the department. Those records are critical. A person may be tracked through license plate sightings without ever knowing a government employee queried their movements. Conversely, allegations should not be inflated into claims about victims, stalking, search totals or motives not established by evidence.

Timeline

1. 2000: Historical POST case-summary and consent-order document supplied for review; contents require document-level verification.
2. 2002: Georgia Court of Appeals decides State v. Lindsay, a possible historical research lead with identity not independently matched.
3. May 2019: Moultrie Police internal-affairs matter; departure listed as resigned in lieu of termination.
4. May 21, 2025: Lindsay begins employment at Hahira Police, according to historical POST profile.
5. August 18, 2026: POST lists Hahira employment as terminated.
6. August 31, 2026: Arrested and booked on 12 charges; released the same day.
7. September 1, 2026: WALB reports Hahira’s audit findings and chief’s statement.
8. September 7, 2026: POST investigation date listed in the September 11 profile.

Sources and related coverage

WALB — Hahira officer arrested after Flock audit (September 1, 2026) ↗

Original Shields of Shame Daniel Lindsay investigation ↗

Institute for Justice — national ALPR misuse database ↗

Georgia Court of Appeals — State v. Lindsay (2002); identity requires confirmation ↗

Open records: the next investigative steps

• Full Hahira Flock query export for Lindsay’s account, with timestamps, search reasons, case numbers, plate fields, alerts and exports, subject to lawful redactions
• Audit reports identifying which searches were flagged and how reviewers distinguished work from personal activity
• Employment termination and disciplinary records, internal interviews, and correspondence documenting discovery and criminal referral
• Arrest warrants, charging affidavits, court case number and subsequent dispositions
• Current Georgia POST investigative records, certification status and earlier Moultrie and 2000 case files
• Hahira Flock contracts, number of authorized accounts, user training, retention settings and written access-control policies

Frequently asked questions

How many charges does Daniel Lindsay face?

Twelve reported counts: six involving license plate data misuse and six involving violation of oath of office.

Who was he searching?

The department has not publicly identified the queried vehicles or their owners in the reporting reviewed.

When did he leave Hahira Police?

The historical POST profile lists termination August 18, 2026, before his August 31 arrest.

What happened at Moultrie Police?

The earlier POST case summary describes a 2019 internal investigation into inappropriate communications; the employment record lists resignation in lieu of termination. It is separate from the Flock case.

Was Lindsay convicted in the Flock case?

No final criminal disposition was independently verified for this update. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Updated October 12, 2026. Criminal allegations, employment records and historical administrative matters are presented separately. The supplied historical PDFs should be examined in full before treating them as proof of any specific sanction.