NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. — A former North Carolina police officer has been arrested and charged after authorities accused her of misusing an automated license plate reader system, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Tonya Baker, a former officer with the Wrightsville Beach Police Department, was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 9, after a New Hanover County grand jury indicted her on one count of misuse of an automated license plate reader system.
According to the SBI, the investigation began after the Wrightsville Beach police chief and New Hanover County district attorney requested that the agency investigate possible misuse of the license plate reader system in July.
Court records cited by WLOS indicate the alleged misuse occurred between February and May 2026.
The indictment alleges Baker accessed or used the license plate reader system “without a legitimate law enforcement purpose” while she was employed as a police officer.
Baker is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 12.
The charge is an allegation. Baker is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The case follows other allegations involving law enforcement officers and automated license plate reader technology in North Carolina.
In June, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer was arrested after state authorities accused him of illegally accessing Flock Safety cameras and conducting an unauthorized data request.
Another officer with the Mooresville Police Department was charged in August after authorities accused her of using license plate readers to track her boyfriend’s ex-wife.
Automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, capture information about passing vehicles, including license plates, locations and times. Law enforcement agencies can use the information as an investigative tool, but access to the systems is generally expected to be connected to legitimate law enforcement purposes.
The recent cases have added to ongoing questions about oversight, privacy and accountability surrounding automated license plate reader networks.
NCN will continue monitoring developments involving the use of automated license plate reader technology by law enforcement agencies.
