Two City of Greer police officers have been terminated for violating the Greer Police Department’s policy on Automatic License Plate Recognition technology.
According to a press release from the City, Corporal Kareem Lynch was terminated on Friday, June 26, and Officer Sebastian Echeverry was terminated on Monday, June 29. How the officers misused the technology was not addressed in the release.
“After receiving allegations that two Greer police officers had violated the city’s policy on Automatic License Plate Recognition technology, the Greer Police Department activated Flock Safety’s newly released AI Audit Assistance tool to review the entire department’s use of the platform,” said Greer City Administrator Andrew Merriman. “The audit corroborated the initial information, and as a result, the two officers were terminated. The City of Greer takes seriously the responsibility to protect the life, safety, and privacy of our citizens, and we utilize the latest tools and technology to perform those duties.”
Officials note that the City of Greer’s policy on the use of license plate recognition programs such as Flock Safety has been in place since January 2023. The Greer Police Department’s General Order 140.2 Automatic License Plate Recognition policy states that the Flock system is to be used for “public safety-related missions of the agency” and that misuse of the technology may result in disciplinary action.
In accordance with policy, the Greer Police Department reported the terminations of Corporal Lynch and Officer Echeverry to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. The Academy will determine the status of the officers’ certifications.
