A Sumter County Sheriff’s Office detective was arrested and fired Thursday after investigators said she misused confidential law-enforcement databases for personal reasons, prompting the agency to suspend its Flock automated license-plate reader system and launch a broader internal audit.
Investigators said former detective Brandy Almany improperly accessed multiple systems, including the Comprehensive Case Information System, Flock ALPR, and Florida’s driver information database, to gather information about her husband’s ex-wife. The sheriff’s office also alleged she created false electronic records to make the searches appear connected to legitimate investigations.
The public materials we found do not spell out a specific database-access policy for Sumter County deputies. The most relevant official pages we did found are records, FOIA, and privacy pages, plus a Project Eagle Eye page explaining that camera data is meant to help deputies and detectives locate cameras after a crime, not for active monitoring.
What is clear
The County’s Project Eagle Eye page says the camera system is intended to help deputies and detectives know where cameras exist in the event of a crime, so that offenders can be apprehended. It not supposed to be used in a way that allows or suggests general surveillance.
What is not clear
We did not find a publicly posted policy that sets out exact rules for who is allowed to search criminal databases, what approval is required, whether searches have to be logged or audited, or what disciplinary steps ar to be taken in cases of misuse.
Almany was charged with official misconduct and offenses against computer users, and the case was submitted to the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit before an arrest warrant was issued. Sheriff Patrick Breeden said the agency has suspended Flock use while it reviews database activity and considers whether additional charges are warranted.
The case has renewed attention on how license-plate reader systems are used and who can access the data they collect. Flock-style systems can help police recover stolen vehicles and solve crimes, but they also raise privacy concerns when data is used outside legitimate investigative work.
- Lee Dixon
- Lee Dixon
- Lee Dixon
- Lee Dixon
