Georgetown, Indiana police officer accused of misusing Flock more than 200 times

GEORGETOWN, Ind. (CNN, KYMA) - A Georgetown, Indiana police officer has been arrested and charged after he allegedly misused Flock cameras hundreds of times.

Officer Justin Craig is charged with official misconduct and two counts of fraud.

According to his affidavit, he searched his wife's license plate more than 80 times and one of her previous acquaintances nearly 250 times. The searches began in January and went through July, documents state.

The documents say a Washington Post reporter triggered the investigation when he called the Georgetown police chief with the tip.

Indiana State Police met with the chief of Georgetown police in September. Following an internal review, it was found Craig's searches on the Flock system were not related to any investigations and he had been mislabeling his searches to make them seem justified.

They were labeled as traffic infractions, narcotics, assault/battery, theft, and stolen-vehicle matters.

Investigators spoke with his wife, who said she works and sometimes stays in Lexington. When asked about her relationship with the previous acquaintance, a man, she didn't answer. She told police she works late hours and she believed her husband was just concerned for her safety.

Police said they tried to contact the acquaintance through the number associated with his vehicle, which is registered in Tennessee, but he has not returned the call.

Craig was arrested. His attorney, Matthew Lemme, released a statement following Craig's arrest.

Lemme said, "Flock sells this same technology to cities, homeowners associations, and shopping malls. When public criticism of it came, the response was to put it on the shoulders of individual police officers. The conduct alleged does not violate any law or department policy. If the public or police agencies believe it should, the answer is to write that law or policy. Having that public conversation about privacy and practice is appropriate. Charging officers before it has even started is not. Officer Craig will file a motion to dismiss the charges against him."