An Oak Ridge Police Department investigator was suspended without pay for three days following a 2024 internal investigation that revealed he misused Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) for personal reasons.

Investigator Timothy Buckner admitted to using the State of Tennessee Integrated Criminal Justice Portal to access Flock Safety cameras to track the locations of a man and a woman. According to investigative documents, Buckner shared their whereabouts with third parties and used the technology to check if the man’s vehicle was parked outside his family’s home.

Buckner defended his actions by claiming he was under pressure from family members who accused the individuals of causing problems, stating he used the system to “mitigate the B.S.” and prove the pair were not a threat.

The misconduct came to light after the Oliver Springs Police Department alerted the Roane County Sheriff’s Office, which subsequently notified Oak Ridge police leadership. While an internal audit confirmed the unauthorized usage and led to an immediate suspension of Buckner’s system access, Buckner remains on the force as a Crime Task Force Investigator and SWAT team member, with recent performance reviews noting he “serves and mentors with distinction.”