CLEARWATER, Fla. — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri urged county commissioners during a workshop on Thursday to allow his agency’s automated license plate reader program to continue, while outlining the system’s cost, uses and safeguards after concerns about misuse.
“We need audits, we need accountability,” he said. “There’s no question about it.”
The ALPRs the department uses are from companies which include Motorola, Axon and Flock. Sheriff Gualtieri said the county has 79 stationary cameras. He said the Flock Safety contract costs $287,000 per year.
The presentation came one week after a now-former Pinellas deputy was arrested on felony charges for allegedly misusing an ALPR database 300 times to track a woman he was romantically interested in.
“The reason why the audits didn’t catch it was because he was lying,” Gualtieri said. “There is room to do more and do better on audits. Some of it is we’re waiting on the manufacturers to enhance their algorithms.”
The sheriff said he’s also open to a law being passed which states deputies who misuse the system will lose their accreditation to be law enforcement officers. He said an important part of Florida law requires agencies to release ALPR data on a citizen who requests it, as long as they’re not the subject of an investigation.
Gualtieri said he does not want to lose a tool that helps solve violent crimes and robberies and helps find missing people. He said the cameras only take photos of license plates and vehicles, not people.
Florida law allows the sheriff’s office to store the data for three years. Gualtieri said he expects the Legislature to lower that number and welcomes tighter regulations.
“It’s confidential. The storage is encrypted. It’s CJIS compliant. We do have audits in place for misuse. We will continue to enhance that,” Gualtieri said. “I wholeheartedly, wholeheartedly support regulation in the Legislature and in Congress to make sure that everybody is doing it right.”
Last month, Commissioner Vince Nowicki said he was going to propose a resolution to end all ALPR contracts in Pinellas County but wanted to hear from the sheriff first before moving forward. The workshop became heated when Nowicki asked about ALPR companies sponsoring the Major County Sheriffs of America, which Gualtieri is the president of the organization.
“What you’re insinuating is offensive,” Gualtieri said. “I’m not being bought and paid by anybody, and that’s a bunch of B.S.”
Nowicki responded, “I didn’t say that.”
“No, that’s where you’re going,” Gualtieri said,. “And don’t go there.”
Nowicki later apologized for offending Gualtieri. After the presentation, Nowicki said it was clear that a majority of his fellow commissioners did not want to terminate the ALPR contracts.
“A majority of my colleagues seem to be OK with dragnet surveillance,” Nowicki said. “I personally want the cameras taken down.”
Commissioner Rene Flowers said she is comfortable with how the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is using the ALPR system and believes most of her fellow commissioners agree.
“I think we’re well within our bounds,” Flowers said. “It’s a matter of educating the community.”
Gualtieri also said every appellate court in the United States that has considered the issue has held that ALPR use does not violate the Fourth Amendment.
The discussion comes after the Pasco sheriff ended his Flock contract last month, saying it lacked support from county commissioners. Gov. Ron DeSantis also ended permits for Flock cameras on state roads, which went into effect last week.