JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – The Jacksonville Beach Police Department said Thursday it will continue using license plate reader technology in locations where it is legally permitted, while removing cameras on state roadways to comply with a State of Florida order.
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The department described the Flock license plate reader (LPR) system as one layer of a multi-year Public Safety Technology Enhancement Plan developed after a citywide review of public safety following several violent incidents, including the shootings on St. Patrick’s Day in 2024.
The plan, the department said, was crafted over more than three years, discussed at a dozen public meetings and workshops, and approved through the city’s regular legislative process.
Chief Gene Paul Smith said the cameras were placed strategically to protect a city that welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
“Most of the cameras were strategically located near entrances and exits to establish a monitored perimeter around the city,” the department said.
Others were installed in the downtown area with support from local business owners.
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Officials said the system has helped officers develop leads more quickly in both major and minor investigations, including probes of gang and drug activity and vehicle-related crimes.
The department noted that roughly 85% to 90% of the 1,200 to 1,500 arrests it makes annually involve people who do not live in Jacksonville Beach, underscoring the challenge of investigating crimes involving nonresidents and visitors.
“We will comply with the State of Florida’s order requiring the removal of LPR cameras located on state roadways. At the same time, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department will continue to use LPR technology in locations where it is legally permitted and appropriate to do so,” Smith said in the statement.
The department emphasized that LPRs are investigative tools, not substitutes for officers, and pledged to balance technology use with privacy and public trust. It said the Jacksonville Beach Police Department will follow existing laws, policies and procedures, and that any future changes to the public safety technology plan would go through the same public and legislative review process.
The release noted endorsements of LPR technology from the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association and reiterated the department’s pledge to remain transparent about public safety efforts.
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