By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Seth Daniel Elliot, 25, was arrested July 30 on a charge of illegally accessing a government computer after allegedly searching license plate databases to obtain information about an undercover officer’s vehicle.
- An arrest affidavit states Elliot was contacted in July by a person identified as a “drug target” in an active investigation who requested the officer search for a specific license plate registration.
- Elliot allegedly searched the Flock Safety automatic license plate reader database and the Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Automated Data Services portal, obtaining registration information for the license plate and providing it to the person under investigation.
- The plate belonged to a vehicle being operated by an undercover law enforcement officer conducting surveillance related to the drug investigation.
- CMPD does not operate its own automatic license plate reader system but has a memorandum of understanding with neighboring agencies contracted with Flock Safety allowing officer access to the database.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Seth Daniel Elliot was arrested on charges of illegally accessing government computer systems after allegedly misusing license plate databases to provide information to a person under investigation for drug offenses.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by WBTV, Elliot was contacted in July by an individual identified in the affidavit as a “drug target” involved in an active investigation. The person requested Elliot search for a license plate registration through law enforcement databases.
Elliot allegedly accessed the Flock Safety automatic license plate reader database and queried the Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Automated Data Services portal for information regarding the requested license plate. The plate was registered to a vehicle being utilized by an undercover law enforcement officer engaged in surveillance operations related to the drug investigation.
Elliot provided the registration information obtained through the databases to the person under investigation. Law enforcement officials determined that providing such information compromised the undercover operation and potentially endangered the safety of the officer conducting covert surveillance.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department stated that it does not independently own or operate an automatic license plate reader system. The department maintains a memorandum of understanding with neighboring jurisdictions that maintain contracts with Flock Safety, permitting CMPD officers to access the Flock database for official law enforcement purposes.
Elliot was charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor violation of illegally accessing a government computer. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave pending further investigation and potential additional discipline.
Chief Estella D. Patterson issued a statement condemning the conduct. “The public expects and deserves the highest level of integrity from every officer who wears the CMPD badge. Misusing law enforcement technology or accessing confidential information for non-law enforcement purposes is a betrayal of the public’s trust and a violation of everything this profession stands for.”
Patterson stated the department “will not tolerate that kind of misconduct, and anyone who violates that trust will be held fully accountable.”