Georgia’s child-welfare agency paid $954,578 for one Chevy Traverse loaded with an $890,478.80 “cellular communications package,” and officials will not say what that gear is.
Story Highlights
- Records show the SUV cost about $38,705 and installation about $25,394; the rest was the “TSE cellular communications package.”
- The agency’s chief of staff says the gear is for its Special Victims Unit but says, “I can’t confirm or deny that we even have one,” when asked about a cell-site simulator.
- Reporters found the package price matches, to the penny, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation purchase; the GBI has cell-site simulators.
- Rep. Beth Camp, a Republican, called it “spy surveillance” and said, “I feel a little duped.”
- The agency bought the SUV in April 2026; the purchase was reported on Monday, Oct. 12.
Nearly $1 Million For One SUV
The Georgia Department of Human Services, which runs the state’s child-welfare division, bought a 2026 Chevrolet Traverse from Hardy Chevrolet GMC in April. A quote sheet lists the SUV at $38,705.25, a “TSE cellular communications package” at $890,478.80, and an installation at $25,394 for a total of $954,578.05. The agency says the gear was bought for its Special Victims Unit, a team that works with police to find runaway foster children at risk of trafficking. The agency has not said what the package is or what it does.
Chris Apsey, the department’s chief of staff, said, “we had equipment bolted onto it as part of the procurement.” Asked whether the agency has a cell-site simulator, he said, “I can’t confirm or deny that we even have one.” He compared the secrecy to the military: “would you expect the (Department of Defense) to talk about classified operations in that sense?”
What A Cell-Site Simulator Does
A cell-site simulator is a device that pretends to be a cell phone tower. Phones nearby connect to it as if it were a real tower. That lets the user find a phone’s location and pick up identifying data from it, including from phones of people who are not under investigation. Police who use these devices usually need a search warrant or court order first.
Reporters found that a Georgia Bureau of Investigation vehicle purchase from the same dealer, made in September 2025, carried a “TSE cellular communications package” priced at exactly $890,478.80. The GBI, the state’s top police investigative agency, has cell-site simulators. A GBI spokeswoman said its use of them typically requires a search warrant or court order. The child-welfare agency has not confirmed that its package is the same device.
GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE AND $1 MILLION CHEVY: The Georgia Department of Human Services, which oversees the state's child welfare agency, paid more than $950,000 for just one Chevrolet Traverse.
The department won't explain why. But documents obtained by @thecentersquare show…
— Johnny Edwards (@JohnnyEdwardsX) October 12, 2026
Lawmakers Say They Were Kept In The Dark
Rep. Beth Camp, a Republican from Concord who chairs the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee, learned of the purchase from reporters. “They are not a law enforcement agency,” she said. “That is surveillance. That is spy surveillance.” She added, “I feel a little duped,” and said, “There’s not a safeguard in place for citizens to make sure they’re not illegally surveilled.”
Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Democrat from Decatur, said a tool like this “should be managed by law-enforcement professionals with careful attention to the 4th amendment.” A written opinion from the legislature’s own lawyers found “no express statutory authorization” for the child-welfare division to use police powers, though it said other parts of state law might support some of its work.
What The Agency Has Said About Warrants
The department said, “Search warrants can be necessary, and those are certainly pursued by partner law enforcement.” It also said it prefers that its own officers “not directly apply for search warrants.” The agency has not said whether a warrant is obtained before this equipment is used. Commissioner Candice Broce, who leads the department, declined interview requests. The department says its Special Victims Unit has recovered or helped recover nearly 200 missing children over two years.
The unit’s costs for fiscal 2026 came to $2.87 million, including the $954,578 vehicle, according to the agency’s budget filing. The agency says the unit is paid for in part with federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families money, a welfare program for low-income families, and calls that “a permissible use.”
Why It Matters To Georgia Families
Finding missing foster children is worthy work. But a tool that can sweep up data from every phone on the block belongs under clear rules, with a judge signing off. Georgia families deserve to know what is riding in that SUV, who is allowed to turn it on, and whether a warrant comes first. Lawmakers from both parties have raised those same concerns.
Sources:
thecentersquare.com, yournews.com, dfcs.georgia.gov, govinfo.gov
