Former Polk County Police Officer Arrested for Alleged Misuse of License Plate Reader System

POLK COUNTY, Ga. — A former Polk County Police Department officer has been arrested after investigators say she improperly accessed a license plate reader system multiple times for non-law enforcement purposes.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Aug. 7 that Tracey Royston, 51, of Cedartown, was arrested and charged with four misdemeanor counts of Misuse of a License Plate Reader System.

Royston previously served with the Polk County Police Department and had been assigned to the Northwest Georgia Drug Task Force, which is managed by the GBI. According to investigators, her position as a task force agent gave her access to the Cedartown Police Department’s Flock Safety license plate reader system.

The investigation began July 31 after the Polk County Police Department requested that the GBI investigate allegations involving misuse of the system.

Preliminary information gathered during the investigation indicates Royston accessed the Flock system multiple times between 2024 and 2025 for purposes unrelated to law enforcement, according to the GBI.

Royston was arrested Aug. 7 and booked into the Polk County Jail.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Once completed, the case will be turned over to the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact the GBI. Anonymous tips may be submitted through the agency’s tip line at 800-597-TIPS (8477), through the GBI’s online tip submission system or through the See Something, Send Something mobile application.