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(Tallahassee, FL) - Florida is pulling permits for Flock cameras that identify and track vehicles using license plate recognition and vehicle feature analysis. The cameras are designed to help law enforcement find criminals to keep communities safe, but the governor says the technology is being abused.
As a result, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is giving local law enforcement one month to remove the license-plate-reading Flock cameras adding no new permits will be issued.
Speaking in Jacksonville Monday, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said using cameras on toll roads or for catching criminals is one thing, the Flock cameras are being abused.
"Where is this data going? The companies claim the information won't be misused, but no one is watching over that." said DeSantis. He added. "We don't want Florida to become a digital surveillance state where everything we're doing is being tracked at all times."
FDOT cites concerns over the exponential increase of the cameras with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced yesterday that he has ordered the removal of all Flock cameras in Duval County. He says given FDOT's decision and concerns expressed by members of the community, he has determined discontinuing this technology is the appropriate course of action at this time.
Also, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey announced he's pausing use of the license plate readers due to privacy concerns. He says there's no doubt they're an amazing tool for law enforcement, but there's also no doubt the data the cameras collect are a major concern for citizens.
Meanwhile, Titusville Police announced yesterday they're also suspending the use of Flock cameras, and the Oviedo City Council voted to immediately remove their cameras.
Immigration attorney Tammy Fox-Isicoff says ICE is also using Flock cameras to identify people who are not citizens by vehicle title and insurance information. She says then they are being stopped in the street and pulled out of their cars. Jacksonville leads the country in ICE street arrests according to the latest data.