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Haines City police add new safeguards for Flock cameras after officer accused of misuse

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HAINES CITY, Fla. — Haines City Police Department is changing how officers use Flock cameras after an officer was accused of repeatedly using the system to track his estranged wife's vehicle.

The department is now requiring formal audits of Flock use, tying every search to a valid case number, and requiring annual training for officers who use the Flock system.

The sweeping changes come after Officer Christopher Goodson was arrested and charged with official misconduct and illegally accessing a computer system. Investigators say Goodson used department-issued equipment to search his estranged wife's vehicle 717 times between September 2024 and June 2026.

The affidavit says 280 of those searches happened in September 2025 alone. Investigators also determined the vehicle was not associated with a criminal investigation that would have required the searches.

In response to questions from Tampa Bay 28, Haines City police acknowledged that there were no formal audits of Flock use before the Goodson investigation.

That is now changing.

The department says a platoon lieutenant will conduct a quarterly audit, including a random review of officers working under that lieutenant's supervision.

Those reviews will examine the documented reason for a search, the frequency of searches, usage patterns, and the accuracy of information entered into the system.

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The department says the process is intended to identify improper or unauthorized use, including unusual usage patterns, inaccurate or incomplete documentation, and searches that cannot be associated with a valid case or incident number.

Haines City says all sworn officers assigned to each platoon will continue to have access to Flock, but their capabilities and access levels will be restricted based on their roles and responsibilities.

The department also says each use of the system must be associated with a valid case number or incident number to establish accountability and create a paper trail.

Users will also be required to complete annual retraining on the system and its policies.

The department says it is reviewing its policies and procedures to make sure appropriate safeguards are in place for system access, usage, monitoring, and auditing.

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The changes are drawing a mixed but generally positive response from community activists who say police need to be held accountable for how surveillance technology is used.

Tilex Altidor with the Poor & Minority Justice Association said the alleged misuse is concerning because law enforcement officers are entrusted with information and technology that can affect people's privacy.

But Altidor also praised Haines City Police Chief Isaac Jackson for responding to the issue quickly.

“I am surprised, happily surprised, at the actions taken by Chief Jackson,” he said. “I think we do enough of pointing out the issues and negativities and the things of that sort. This is the one time that I can tip my hat to them for being transparent and acting on it.”

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Altidor said the new safeguards address many of his concerns.

Still, he said the department will have to demonstrate that the changes are actually being implemented.

“We hear what you say now, but we follow up to see if it’s being implemented,” he said.

The department's original statement said Goodson had been placed on administrative leave after the investigation began, however, he indicated his intent to resign.


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