SHIELDS OF SHAME • GEORGIA FLOCK MISUSE DATABASE • CASE 034
Kabiru Babatunde Salawu: Nearly 17 Years at DeKalb Sheriff’s Office Before Flock Misuse Arrest
A longtime sergeant was fired and charged after an internal investigation into unauthorized access to license-plate surveillance technology. The arrest raises an important question: what do the original audit logs actually show?
July 17, 2026: sergeant arrested and terminated
On July 17, 2026, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest and termination of Sgt. Kabiru Salawu after an internal investigation into allegedly unauthorized use of its Flock Safety automated license plate reader system. The agency reported two charges: felony violation of oath of office and misdemeanor misuse of license plate data. Salawu was booked into the DeKalb County Jail and was reported held without bond immediately after arrest. This is his initial custody status, not a verified current jail or bond status.
The Sheriff’s Office did not release the plate numbers searched, the number of queries, the search dates, the identities of any people affected, or the precise method by which investigators discovered the alleged activity. No final criminal disposition was independently confirmed in the public reporting reviewed for this update. Charges are allegations, and Salawu is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
A nearly 17-year career ends
The Sheriff’s Office said Salawu had been employed since August 24, 2009. His July 17, 2026 termination ended almost 17 years with the agency. The length of service is significant because Salawu held the rank of sergeant, but neither tenure nor rank establishes what Flock permissions he held or whether he completed a particular ALPR policy acknowledgment.
The supplied Georgia POST certification document is an essential separate source. Termination from an agency is not the same as suspension or revocation of POST certification. The current certification and any disciplinary order should be checked directly with Georgia POST; the supplied historical PDF should not be presented as a live status record.
Read Kabiru Salawu’s supplied Georgia POST certification record (PDF) ↗
What Sheriff Melody Maddox said
Sheriff Melody Maddox described unauthorized use of law-enforcement technology or confidential information as a serious breach of public trust. Her July statement said the agency would take action when misconduct was identified. The Sheriff’s Office characterized the investigation as active and declined to provide further details. The statement explains the agency’s disciplinary position, but it does not replace a charging affidavit, search log or court finding.
A critical gap: who, what, when and how often?
Automated license plate reader systems can record a vehicle’s plate, approximate location and time of observation. Authorized users may then query stored sightings for investigative purposes. Misuse allegations can involve searching for personal reasons, accessing data without a valid case or improperly sharing results. The public Salawu announcement does not establish which of those detailed behaviors occurred beyond the agency’s allegation of unauthorized use.
Some secondary compilations make more specific claims about repeated searches of other deputies’ plates and supposed search pretexts. Those details were not independently verified against Salawu’s arrest affidavit or native Flock audit in this investigation, so they are not treated here as established facts. The original audit should settle the search count, target categories, entered reasons and whether results were exported or shared.
A broader question about DeKalb’s surveillance oversight
In April 2026, Flock introduced an optional audit-assistance feature designed to flag searches that appear suspicious. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that agencies must enable the feature. Public reporting on Salawu’s arrest confirms an internal investigation, but does not establish that an automated alert triggered this specific case.
Other DeKalb-area agencies have faced separate scrutiny involving Flock searches. It is important to distinguish the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Salawu’s employer, from the DeKalb County Police Department and municipal police departments, whose access rules and investigations may differ.
Timeline of the Salawu case
- August 24, 2009: Salawu begins DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office employment.
- April 2026: Flock introduces an optional audit-assistance feature; its role in Salawu’s case is not verified.
- July 17, 2026: Sheriff’s Office announces Salawu’s arrest, two charges and termination.
- July 18: Local reporting confirms he was held without bond immediately following arrest and that the investigation remained active.
- October 12: No final criminal judgment, complete original audit or current POST disciplinary order independently verified in this review.
Original Shields of Shame evidence library
Independent reporting and source documents
WSB-TV — July 17 arrest and sheriff’s statement ↗
CBS Atlanta — investigation details and statewide context ↗
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — DeKalb case and Flock audit feature ↗
On Common Ground News — Sheriff’s Office announcement ↗
WABE / Decaturish — local coverage ↗
Institute for Justice — national ALPR abuse research index ↗
The public-records requests that could reveal the full story
- Flock audit: every query from Salawu’s account, with timestamps, plate identifiers, reasons, case numbers, filters, exports and result views
- Detection: original anomaly alerts, audit-review notes, emails, referrals and the precise date the Sheriff’s Office discovered the activity
- Permissions: user-role history, account activation and suspension dates, supervisor privileges and data-sharing settings
- Policy: ALPR rules in effect during the alleged searches, signed acknowledgments and training records
- Criminal proceedings: arrest and search warrants, probable-cause affidavit, case number, indictment or accusation, bond orders and final disposition
- Employment: internal affairs file, disciplinary findings, termination notice and any prior substantiated ALPR violations
- POST: current certification profile, any investigation and final sanction or order
Frequently asked questions
When was Kabiru Salawu arrested?
July 17, 2026, according to the Sheriff’s Office and multiple local news reports.
What charges did he face?
Felony violation of oath of office and misdemeanor misuse of license plate data.
Did he lose his Georgia POST certification?
Employment termination is confirmed, but a current certification revocation or suspension is not established by the news reports. The supplied POST PDF is provided for readers to review; an updated POST record is still needed.
How many license plates did he search?
The Sheriff’s Office did not disclose a verified count in its initial public announcement. A native audit export is required to establish the number.
Was he convicted?
A final criminal disposition was not independently verified in this review.
Updated October 12, 2026. This investigation distinguishes the Sheriff’s Office’s allegations, documented employment action, historical certification material and unresolved court questions. The presumption of innocence applies.