Savannah SPD dismisses officer for granting ICE agent access to Flock ALPR data
Internal audit revealed hundreds of unauthorized license plate searches conducted by a federal agent using a local police credential.
Key points
- Amber Harpe provided her Flock login credentials to her husband, an ICE agent lacking official access.
- Auditors identified 983 unauthorized search entries targeting vehicles across six states between January and July.
- The Savannah Police Department does not share Flock data with ICE, though it connects with over 1,700 other agencies.
Savannah Police Department officer Amber Harpe was dismissed after internal records showed she shared her Flock automated license plate reader credentials with her husband. Tyler Harpe, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, used the access to conduct extensive searches. This incident highlights risks when federal personnel circumvent formal data-sharing agreements by exploiting local law enforcement accounts.
What did the internal audit reveal?
An internal review flagged unusual activity on Amber Harpe’s account between January and July. Investigators counted 983 search entries involving 97 license plates from Georgia, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. South Carolina represented the majority of these queries, with 788 searches. Records indicate most registered owners of the targeted vehicles were Hispanic.
Why did the agent use her account?
Tyler Harpe stated he requested the login to locate individuals with arrest warrants more efficiently while on the street. He claimed every name searched was an ICE target. Amber Harpe told investigators she did not recognize many of the names and confirmed her husband ran most queries. She noted that ICE lacked its own Flock access because agencies were reluctant to share data with them.
What is the data-sharing policy?
The Savannah Police Department shares Flock data with more than 1,700 agencies, but ICE is not on that list. Georgia law may permit such sharing, but the city never agreed to it. This case illustrates concerns about federal agents accessing local camera networks without formal permission. It adds to recent incidents involving Georgia police misusing ALPR systems.
Questions to ask your suppliers
Security teams should verify whether vendors enforce strict session management and multi-factor authentication for all user accounts. Check if the system logs and alerts on unusual query volumes or geographic patterns that deviate from normal operational baselines. Ensure that access reviews are conducted regularly to identify dormant or shared credentials. Inform legal and compliance departments about potential risks of unauthorized federal access to local infrastructure.
What to do and how to stay safe: Flock
- Audit user activity logs for spikes in search volume or queries outside standard operational jurisdictions.
- Enforce unique credentials and prohibit sharing of login details among staff members or external agencies.
- Verify that all data-sharing agreements are formally documented and approved by organizational leadership.
- Monitor for unauthorized access attempts or login sessions originating from unexpected locations.
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Frequently asked questions
Did Savannah police officially share data with ICE?
No, the department shares Flock data with over 1,700 agencies, but ICE is not included in that list.
How many searches did the ICE agent conduct?
Auditors counted 983 search entries on the officer’s account between January and July.
What was the outcome for the officer?
Amber Harpe lost her job after admitting she gave her login credentials to her husband.
