JACKSONVILLE, FL — Police agencies across Northeast Florida are ending their use of Flock license plate readers after the state moved to block the technology. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Monday that the cameras had been “an enormously valuable investigative tool,” but that he would discontinue the program because of the state decision and community concerns.
Nassau and Clay counties also said they were stopping use of the cameras, while Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach said his agency’s 18 cameras would be disconnected immediately and taken down within 30 days. The Florida Department of Transportation said all cameras must be removed within that window or the state will remove them itself.
State order follows growing criticism of license plate reader use in Florida
The shutdown came after the Florida Department of Transportation issued a memo Monday blocking the cameras statewide. That action came just three days after Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly criticized the spread of license plate readers, calling the systems “out of control” during an event at Florida International University in Miami.
FDOT said the rapid growth in deployments, plus reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes, required immediate action to protect Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life. The memo did not appear to bar the concept of license plate readers altogether, but it did stop the current roadway deployments and set a deadline for removal.
Law enforcement agencies have often defended the systems by saying they record plates rather than conduct broader surveillance. Police around the country say the cameras have helped solve crimes and find missing people, and officials in Northeast Florida have made the same argument while saying their departments follow strict rules for data use.
Putnam County says cameras helped solve crimes and find missing people
Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach said the system has helped his office locate people with Alzheimer’s disease and early-stage dementia, track and arrest murder suspects, and assist the Sheriff’s Office and FBI in finding a teenage trafficking victim from another state. He said the county first installed license plate readers in 2022.
Even with those benefits, DeLoach said he has grown increasingly concerned that technology is advancing faster than the laws and regulations governing it. He said he believes stopping the program is the most responsible step until clearer safeguards are in place for both public safety and privacy.
Jacksonville Sheriff Waters made a similar calculation, saying state officials’ action and community concerns made ending the program the right course at this time. His announcement followed mounting local attention on the cameras and their use in the area.
Local officials weigh privacy concerns, regulations and next steps
Jacksonville City Council member Jimmy Peluso said last week that he planned to propose new rules for Flock Safety cameras in Duval County, including giving neighborhoods a say in where the systems are placed. After the sheriff’s announcement Monday, Peluso said he may still file a bill aimed at protecting the community from similar technology.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan also said privacy must be protected when emerging technology is used for law enforcement. She said she commended Waters for responding to community concerns and that her administration would keep working with City Council on policy solutions to guard against misuse of data.
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said her office would continue following state guidelines and keep talking about technology in law enforcement. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said his agency would keep working with local and state partners to make sure the tools are used appropriately, responsibly and for serious crime investigations.
Other Florida and Georgia cases show scrutiny surrounding Flock systems
The Florida rollback comes as the broader debate over Flock systems continues elsewhere in the Southeast. In Savannah, Mayor Van Johnson said the city found “several potential misuses” of its Flock system, leading to administrative leave for four police officers and two civilian employees while the Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigates.
In Northeast Florida, the cameras also have attracted direct attacks. In July, a 19-year-old man in Jacksonville Beach was charged with vandalism after five cameras were damaged in Atlantic and Neptune Beach. Police said the lenses had been spray-painted black, and a security camera captured a man climbing a ladder near one of the damaged cameras.
Investigators identified the car’s owner using plate information captured by other Flock cameras in beach communities and another system in Georgia, underscoring why supporters say the technology can be useful even as critics press for tighter limits.
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