DEKALB COUNTY – August 17, 2026. Tomorrow, during the Employee Relations and Public Safety (ERPS) Committee meeting, Agenda 2026-0769: “Requesting the Administration to Establish Independent Civilian Oversight and Auditing For DeKalb County’s Digital Shield Initiatives and Surveillance Infrastructure” will be on the agenda for discussion following its initial introduction by Commissioner Terry on May 5, 2026.
As an advocate for proactive transparency surrounding surveillance initiatives in DeKalb County, Commissioner Terry seeks to enlist an independent oversight committee that would provide monitoring of the county’s Digital Shield initiative, including Flock Safety technology.
Implementation of Flock cameras county-wide is a core aspect of the $18.9 million Digital Shield initiative that aims to strengthen public safety which was launched by DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and unanimously approved by the Board of Commissioners in October of 2025. The use of this technology is intended to support the DeKalb Police Department through license plate recognition that would “track stolen vehicles, identify suspects, and provide critical leads during investigations.” (See DeKalb County Digital Shield For A Safer DeKalb)
However, in early August, local journalists reported that eight DeKalb County Police Officers have been suspended for violating department policy and misusing the automated license plate reader system. Establishing an independent civilian oversight committee to review DeKalb County’s use of surveillance technology is important.
Tomorrow, the DeKalb Board of Commissioners will hear this item, and Commissioner Terry invites members of the press to attend the meeting in order to gain valuable insight into this topic. If you are not able to attend, the ERPS meeting is live streamed at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/dctv or will be uploaded to the DCTV website once formatted.
What: Employee Relations and Public Safety (ERPS) Committee Meeting
Where: 178 Sams Street Decatur, GA 30030
When: 2:15 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2026