SHIELDS OF SHAME | ALPHARETTA POLICE | FLOCK MISUSE
Dustin Anthony Bozzo resigned from the Alpharetta Police Department while under investigation after audit records reportedly revealed repeated personal searches involving three vehicles.
An Alpharetta police officer allegedly turned a law-enforcement surveillance system into a tool for monitoring a former romantic partner and another officer he believed was spending time with her.
Internal investigation records reviewed by WIRED reportedly show that former Alpharetta Police Department patrol officer Dustin Anthony Bozzo repeatedly searched Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader system for vehicles connected to two fellow department employees.
The records describe at least 103 searches involving three vehicles between March and May 2026.
Bozzo resigned from the department on August 5, 2026, following an internal investigation. His Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council profile identifies his separation as “Resigned while under Investigation.” A separate POST investigation was opened on August 18, 2026.
The case provides a stark example of how a system promoted as an investigative tool can be redirected toward personal surveillance when access controls depend on officers honestly reporting why they are searching.
October 9, 2026: Criminal charge reported in Fulton County
A subsequent report by the Alpharetta-Milton Chronicle says former Alpharetta officer Dustin Bozzo was booked into the Fulton County Jail on August 27, 2026 and charged the following day with a misdemeanor under Georgia’s license-plate-data statute, O.C.G.A. § 35-1-22, citing Fulton County State Court records. The report says he was released on a $125,000 signature bond. This is a reported charging development, not a conviction; the underlying charging document and final docket disposition have not been independently examined here.
The original September 17 statement below that no charges had been located reflects the earlier research date and is superseded by this newer report. WIRED’s account supports the breakdown of 56 searches for the former partner’s vehicle, 29 for another officer’s vehicle, and 18 for a borrowed family vehicle. The first two figures alone total 85, which explains why some subsequent reports use the 85-search headline, while the original investigation describes at least 103 searches across three vehicles.
At Least 103 Reported Searches
According to the internal records, Bozzo allegedly conducted:
- 56 searches for a vehicle driven by a former romantic partner who worked for the Alpharetta Police Department.
- 29 searches for a vehicle belonging to another Alpharetta officer.
- 18 searches for a vehicle belonging to the former partner’s uncle after she reportedly began borrowing it.
The 18 searches of the uncle’s vehicle reportedly occurred during a 10-day period between April 5 and April 14.
Bozzo allegedly began searching the second officer’s vehicle after noticing through Flock results that it was frequently near the former partner’s vehicle. The former partner and the other officer reportedly told investigators that they were platonic friends.
Bozzo denied that jealousy motivated his searches. He reportedly told investigators that he was attempting to make sure the former partner arrived home safely because she sometimes drove late at night.
Whatever his stated motivation, the investigation concluded that the searches were inconsistent with Alpharetta Police Department policy and the authorized use of Flock.
“Wanted Person” and “Traffic Infraction”
Flock searches create audit records that can identify the user, searched plate, time of the search and justification entered by the user. Those audit logs are supposed to provide accountability when officers access sensitive location information.
In this case, the logs reportedly showed that Bozzo routinely selected:
- “Wanted Person”
- “Traffic Infraction”
When an investigator asked about those selections, Bozzo reportedly explained that they were a quick way to complete the required field.
That explanation raises a larger accountability question: Is a dropdown menu a meaningful safeguard if an officer can select a law-enforcement justification without connecting the search to an actual incident, report or case number?
The audit trail may document the access, but it does not prevent the misuse.
Relationship Had Already Drawn Workplace Scrutiny
The internal investigation reportedly found that Bozzo and the former partner had been involved in a sexual relationship while both worked for the department. Both maintained that the relationship did not become sexual while they were on duty.
Their conduct had nevertheless attracted attention inside the department.
Coworkers reportedly alleged that the pair frequently spent personal time together while working and were not performing their assigned responsibilities. Supervisors separated them and issued written instructions concerning acceptable workplace interactions.
One supervisor reportedly observed Bozzo meeting the other employee in a secluded park at approximately 2:30 a.m. while Bozzo was working and the other employee was off duty.
The relationship later ended. Bozzo’s Flock searches reportedly began in early March 2026.
Paid Leave, Resignation and Continuing Investigations
The Alpharetta Police Department placed Bozzo on paid administrative leave on July 20, 2026. He resigned on August 5 following the internal investigation.
Lieutenant Jason Hiott told WIRED that the department’s Criminal Investigations Division was conducting an ongoing criminal investigation. Police Chief Trent Lindgren said the department acted after the alleged misuse was identified.
Bozzo’s Georgia POST record provides several independently verifiable facts:
- Officer key: O256663
- Alpharetta employment: May 22, 2023–August 5, 2026
- Separation: Resigned while under investigation
- POST status: File Review Required
- POST investigation opened: August 18, 2026
- Investigation status: Under Investigation / Assigned
- Sanctions listed: None as of September 16, 2026
The POST record does not describe the underlying allegations or establish criminal wrongdoing. It confirms the employment separation and the existence of a state certification review.
Historical reporting note (September 17, 2026): At that time, Shields of Shame had not located a criminal charge. See the October 9 update above for subsequently reported Fulton County misdemeanor charges.
His case involves administrative findings and a subsequently reported criminal charge. A charge is not a conviction.
What the Case Reveals About Flock Oversight
Flock Safety states that every search is logged and available for agency review. Bozzo’s case demonstrates both the value and limitations of that feature.
The audit trail appears to have preserved evidence showing:
- Who conducted the searches.
- Which vehicles were targeted.
- How frequently the system was accessed.
- What reasons were entered.
- When the searches occurred.
But logging is retrospective. It tells an agency what happened only if someone reviews the records and recognizes a suspicious pattern.
The central questions for Alpharetta are therefore broader than the alleged actions of one former officer:
- What triggered the audit of Bozzo’s account?
- How long did the searches continue before supervisors detected them?
- Were users required to enter a report or case number?
- Did the department conduct routine audits before receiving a complaint?
- Were the affected employees notified when the searches were discovered?
- Has the department changed its access controls or audit procedures?
- Was Bozzo’s Flock access disabled immediately when the investigation began?
Without answers to those questions, the public cannot determine whether the department’s safeguards detected the alleged misuse promptly or merely preserved evidence after the damage had already been done.
The technology recorded the searches.
The real test is whether anyone was watching the people doing the searching.
Sources
- WIRED: A Georgia Cop Used Flock to Track 2 Other Cops: His Ex and Her Friend
- Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council individual officer profile for Dustin Anthony Bozzo, generated September 16, 2026.
- Flock Safety: What Is Flock?
Editor’s note: Allegations and administrative findings are not criminal convictions. This article will be updated if the Alpharetta Police Department, Georgia POST, prosecutors or a court release additional records or take further action.
All photographs and certification images are hotlinked to their original SOS media URLs.