Florida police officer allegedly stalked woman's travels using license plate readers | FOX 35 Orlando
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Florida police officer allegedly stalked woman's travels using license plate readers

By
Updated  February 6, 2025 11:29am EST
Volusia County
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • Jarmarus Brown, an Orange City police officer, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly using license plate readers to track a woman's location.
    • He faces charges of accessing a computer/electronic device without authority and misdemeanor stalking.
    • Brown told law enforcement that the situation was "dumb as hell on my end," according to an arrest report.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida police officer was arrested after allegedly using his access to law enforcement data to track a woman's whereabouts last year.

Who is Jarmarus Brown?

Jarmarus Brown, 29, is employed as a police officer for the Orange City Police Department. 

He was booked into the Volusia County jail on Wednesday night on charges of accessing a computer/electronic device without authority and misdemeanor stalking. 

A spokesperson for the Orange City Police Department said Brown was served paperwork regarding intent to end his employment with the department and has three days to appeal. If no appeal is filed, his final day of employment will be Feb. 7.

Stalking complaint leads to arrest

The backstory:

On Dec. 3, 2024, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office was asked to investigate a stalking complaint from the Orange City Police Department.

The complaint alleged Brown had used databases specific to law enforcement to track the location of a woman who was his girlfriend at the time. 

The woman filed a police report with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 8, 2024, expressing that she believed he was using license plate reader technology to track her whereabouts.

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She also noted that it was a "common occurrence" for Brown to share videos with her of her vehicle traveling through an intersection on his agency-issued laptop. 

By the numbers:

An audit revealed Brown did use license plate reader technology to trach her location – a total of 108 times during a seven-month period, the affidavit stated. The pair reportedly dated for 10 months.

‘It was dumb as hell’

What they're saying:

Investigators spoke with Brown about the situation, and he explained that running her tag was a comfort and safety measure for him to confirm her whereabouts, according to the report.

At the end of the interview, Brown reportedly said, "Like I told my agency, it was dumb as hell on my end, emotions flowing, mind going."

Detectives determined there was probable cause to arrest him because Brown used law enforcement computer systems for "his own personal reasons" and that there was no work-related or justifiable reason to do so.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Volusia Sheriff's Office and details shared in a statement by the Orange City Police Department. 

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