PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) – Automated license plate recognition cameras have been used by law enforcement across Florida for the last few years. Some local agencies say Flock cameras have been game changers in their investigations.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Randy Tifft said the cameras help locate people who have left the state and have been used to find dementia patients who were driving.
“Without those it would have took time. Been hard to locate people out of state once they leave the state and try to find where they’re at. We have found numerous dementia patients driving around,” Tifft said.
Some have raised privacy concerns about what happens to the data gathered by the cameras. Each agency has its own procedures for Flock cameras, but there are no statewide regulations.
Tifft said his office restricts who can search the system.
“We have a very strict policy on who can even put in a tag to track. It requires supervisor approval and goes up the chain, but we understand the public’s interest,” Tifft said.
Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom raised concerns about oversight of other agencies using the cameras.
“It also gets to the point where what rules is this other department in another part of the state following and they say they’re using our cameras to look up someone who’s wanted for theft is that really what’s happening,” Winstrom said.
Governor Ron DeSantis banned the use of the cameras on all state roads. A state Department of Transportation memo denied all future permits for license plate readers on state highways and required current cameras to come down.
Some see that as good news.
“The less surveillance we have in the state the better. Florida is all about freedom and I can get behind it. I don’t want those Flock cameras everywhere personally,” James Lewis said.
Police and sheriff’s departments across northwest Florida announced they will stop using the cameras immediately. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Pensacola PD say they both had about 20 cameras each that have already been turned off.
Winstrom said the department will wait for the city’s input and possible legislative changes before considering bringing the cameras back.
“We want this city to be comfortable with how we’re policing it and if that takes us a few more months, legislative changes in Tallahassee to get to the point where this city is now saying this is a tool we want we need that’s when we’ll consider going back,” Winstrom said.
State lawmakers could address the issue during the next legislative session. People interviewed say they are on the fence about whether they want Flock cameras to come back.
Asked if he wanted the cameras to return, Lewis said, “No, no not at all.”
David Pollard said he could support the cameras under certain conditions.
“If it was reevaluated and had better control or maybe the used it for specific things then I would not have a problem with it,” Pollard said.
Related: Sheriff’s office warns damaging Flock cameras is a crime
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