A former Wrightsville Beach police officer faces criminal charges for misdemeanor misuse of a license plate reader system. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) initiated an investigation in July following an internal audit by the Wrightsville Beach Police Department. She was arrested on September 9th after a New Hanover County grand jury indicted her. The specific nature of the misuse has not been disclosed. The town confirmed the employee involved is no longer with the department. The SBI’s investigation is ongoing, with her court appearance scheduled for October 12th. This incident highlights potential privacy risks and failure modes associated with law enforcement’s use of surveillance technology.