Sharonville police lieutenant indicted for misusing Flock camera system 29 times
A Sharonville, Ohio police lieutenant faces a felony charge after allegedly using a Flock camera system to track a private individual 29 times for personal reasons.
Sharonville police lieutenant faces felony charge over unauthorised Flock camera searches
A Sharonville police lieutenant has been indicted on a felony charge after allegedly using a law enforcement camera tracking system to monitor a private individual for personal reasons, local12.com reports.
Walter Cordes, 48, conducted 29 searches of the Flock camera system between December 2024 and April 2026 to determine the whereabouts of a person unconnected to any law enforcement matter, according to Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich.
Cordes admitted to the searches during an internal department audit of the system. Following that admission, Sharonville Police Chief Jim Nesbit placed Cordes on administrative leave and revoked his access to all department systems.
"We strengthened our protections to guard against any kind of misconduct, and they helped," Chief Nesbit said. "Once we learned of the alleged misuse, we immediately referred the case to an outside agency for an independent investigation and gave them everything we had. Any officer who misuses law enforcement tools for personal reasons breaks this community's trust and lets down every officer who does this job the right way."
Prosecutor Pillich underscored the dual obligation that comes with deploying surveillance technology in policing. "These investigative tools come with an equally important responsibility to protect the rights of the people we serve," she said. "When technology is misused, it undermines public trust and the important work being done by law enforcement officers every day."
Nesbit said the audit was prompted in part by rising public pressure across the United States over Flock camera usage. He reviewed his department's policies and employee usage this spring, after acknowledging that monitoring Flock activity had previously been a cumbersome process until new system features simplified it.
"We found that some use was not appropriate, and we addressed that," Nesbit said. "Through that process, Lt. Cordes came forward to share that he too had misused the system, and that's what led to the investigation."
Nesbit passed the case to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in June. A grand jury returned the indictment on Tuesday. The identity of the person Cordes allegedly tracked and his reasons for doing so have not been disclosed.
If convicted of unauthorised use of a computer, cable or telecommunication property, Cordes faces up to one year in prison. Mayor Kevin Hardman addressed the matter at Tuesday night's Sharonville city council meeting, highlighting the internal review that brought the conduct to light.
Hardman confirmed that Cordes has been moved from paid to unpaid administrative leave. He also made clear the city's 24 leased Flock cameras would remain in operation. "These Flock cameras are an invaluable tool to solving and preventing crime," Hardman said. "Allowing a bad actor to make bad decisions to take that valuable tool away is not the appropriate way to move forward."
Nesbit confirmed the city's internal investigation is being reopened now that there is no longer a risk of interfering with the sheriff's inquiry. No arrest warrant has been filed as of yet.
The local Fraternal Order of Police said it supports the Sharonville Police Department's policies on misconduct while also backing Cordes' right to due process. A Flock representative did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)