Florida — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for tighter restrictions on Flock Safety cameras and other automated license plate readers, saying their widespread use has gone too far and raising concerns about the potential for the technology to create a surveillance state.
DeSantis said Aug. 26 that he believes the issue needs to be addressed by the Florida Legislature and described the current use of the cameras as “out of control.” He said he supports law enforcement but wants safeguards governing how the technology and the information it collects are used.
The governor’s comments come as several Florida law enforcement agencies and local governments have begun reassessing their relationships with Flock Safety, which operates automated license plate readers that photograph passing vehicles and collect information including license plate numbers and vehicle characteristics.
Cameras ordered removed from state roads
The Florida Department of Transportation has now ordered automated license plate readers, including Flock cameras, removed from state roads and rights of way. The move follows DeSantis’ direction to state agencies to address the cameras’ placement on state roadways. FDOT has also revoked all permits.
The action does not amount to a statewide ban on Flock cameras. Local governments and sheriff’s offices can still have their own agreements and installations on local or private property, subject to applicable rules.
DeSantis has urged lawmakers to establish clearer rules governing the technology, particularly how information collected by the cameras can be accessed and used. He has said Floridians have legitimate reasons to be concerned about privacy and the possibility of widespread government surveillance.
Sheriff’s offices reconsider contracts
The governor’s comments come as individual Florida agencies make their own decisions about the technology.
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office announced it would begin ending its contract with Flock Safety, citing constitutional and privacy concerns.
In Pasco County, Sheriff Chris Nocco has announced that his office will terminate an interlocal agreement involving Flock cameras on county and state rights of way, with the agreement set to end Sept. 30.
Sumter County Sheriff Pat Breeden also suspended the county’s license plate reader program following concerns surrounding the technology and an investigation involving alleged misuse of a Flock system by a detective.
The developments have fueled a broader debate over whether automated license plate readers should be considered a critical crime-fighting tool or an intrusive form of mass surveillance.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced Monday, Aug. 31, that Flock camera surveillance would end despite the fact that he has made it clear he personally supports mass surveillance.
In a Facebook .post, Sheriff Chitwood wrote, “Effective immediately, we are shutting down License Plate Readers in Volusia County. Recent orders and statements from our Governor and Department of Transportation have made it clear that LPRs are no longer workable in Florida.”
Volusia County has been under heavy scrutiny because of the way they use the Flock system.
According to reports, the county separately operates license plate readers at some county park facilities. County officials say those cameras photograph the rear license plate of vehicles entering or leaving selected facilities and compare plate information with law enforcement databases, including stolen vehicle lists and AMBER and Silver alerts.
There is an important distinction between Volusia County’s various license plate reader programs and the specific Flock contracts operated by law enforcement agencies.
The Putnam County Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach also announced the agency’s discontinuation of Flock cameras on Aug. 31.
Privacy versus public safety
Supporters of Flock technology say the cameras give investigators a powerful tool for locating stolen vehicles, missing people and suspects in serious crimes. The systems can generate alerts when a vehicle associated with a law enforcement investigation is detected.
Critics argue that the cameras capture information on people who have done nothing wrong and can create detailed records of where motorists travel. They also have raised concerns about unauthorized searches, information sharing and how long collected data remains available.
Those concerns have become more prominent following a growing number of documented cases of alleged misuse of license plate reader systems by law enforcement. Law enforcement have widely misused the cameras to track women…an ex-wife or girlfriend.
DeSantis’ intervention adds another layer to the debate. While the governor has not called for every Flock camera in Florida to be immediately eliminated, his comments and the state’s removal of cameras from state roadways represent a significant shift in the political conversation surrounding the technology.
For Florida residents, the debate now moves toward the Legislature, where lawmakers could establish statewide rules governing automated license plate readers, including who can access the information, how it can be used and what safeguards should be required.
For now, Florida’s approach remains a patchwork: some agencies are ending or suspending their programs, some continue to support the technology, and the state is removing cameras from its own roadways.
As for now, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said he fully supports Flock Cameras.
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