SBI charges former Wrightsville Beach police officer with misuse of Flock system
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — A former Wrightsville Beach police officer has been indicted and arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of the department’s automated license plate reader system, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday.
Former officer Tonya Baker was indicted by a New Hanover County grand jury on one count of misuse of an Automated License Plate Reader system, according to the SBI.
Baker was arrested Wednesday morning and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 12, according to the SBI.
Court records show the Oct. 12 hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Courtroom 403 at the New Hanover County Courthouse.
According to the indictment, Baker allegedly accessed information associated with two North Carolina vehicle registration tags between Feb. 10 and May 12, 2026, without a legitimate law enforcement purpose. The indictment alleges the access occurred while Baker was employed as a police officer with the Wrightsville Beach Police Department.
The investigation began after Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Jason Bishop and the New Hanover County district attorney requested SBI assistance on July 16 following concerns about possible misuse of the department’s automated license plate reader system by an employee.
The development comes one day after the Wrightsville Beach Police Department announced that an internal audit of its Flock Safety license plate reader system had identified a discrepancy involving an officer with access to the database.
The department began using Flock Safety cameras in March 2026. The system captures vehicle information, including license plate data and vehicle descriptors, which police have said can be used to assist with investigations involving stolen vehicles and suspect vehicles.
According to the department, the cameras are not used for facial recognition or continuous surveillance.
Wrightsville Beach police said the audit was conducted as part of an early review of the newly implemented technology. After identifying the discrepancy, the department said it launched an internal investigation and notified the SBI and District Attorney’s Office.
The department said its internal investigation has been completed and administrative action was taken. The officer involved was no longer employed by the Town of Wrightsville Beach.
At the time of the department’s announcement Tuesday, the officer was not identified because of confidentiality surrounding personnel matters.
The SBI said its investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information was available Wednesday.
