Surveillance and privacy concerns<\/p>\n
As UNF continues to balance<\/a> campus safety with citizen concerns, Flock Safety cameras represent a controversial tool in modern policing.<\/p>\n UNF graduate Gabrielle Wilson said that although she knows ALPRs have been used to help solve crimes, the \u201camount of government surveillance is concerning\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure how much regulation it [ALPRs] has with our government,\u201d said Wilson. \u201cKind of like AI, it seems like a lot of power, and I don\u2019t know if the pros outweigh the cons.\u201d<\/p>\n While the exact number of Flock cameras currently active on the UNF campus or across Jacksonville is not specified in the available scientific datasets, a website called DeFlock<\/a> tracks active ALPRs.<\/p>\n There are three Flock cameras on UNF Drive and Town Center Parkway, two on Kernan Blvd and First Coast Tech Parkway, and 9 in St. Johns Town Center, according to the website.\u00a0<\/p>\n UNF freshman Owen Locke said he had seen the Flock cameras around the area but wasn\u2019t sure what they were.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems a little weird and futuristic to be monitored like that all of a sudden,\u201d said Locke.<\/p>\n However, Ally Hurst, a UNF sophomore, said that the Flock cameras could be useful for catching people who speed around the university.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really dangerous how fast people drive in Jacksonville,\u201d said Hurst. \u201cIf the cameras help catch those people, I\u2019m all for it.\u201d<\/p>\n While Florida Statute 316.0777<\/a> keeps the actual images and personal data captured by ALPRs confidential, Florida departments such as the Florida Highway Patrol<\/a> have opted into public-facing portals to detail their data schedules, operational camera counts, and internal audit logs.<\/p>\n The Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office (JSO) launched its formal Transparency Portal<\/a> in August 2024, but this portal does not detail operational ALPR camera locations, search audit metrics, or direct hardware vendors.<\/p>\n Rise of ALPRs in Florida and Jacksonville<\/p>\n Although ALPR technology first came to the United States in 1998 as a form of border security<\/a>, its capabilities have evolved<\/a> into a powerful tool for mass data collection by local police forces.\u00a0<\/p>\n A 2020 survey<\/a> of 1,237 law enforcement agencies across 39 states found that 40% used ALPR systems, a significant increase from 23% in 2009.<\/p>\n In Florida, the deployment of Flock Safety cameras surged in the early 2020s through an Axon partnership<\/a> that sought to integrate Flock\u2019s ALPR data directly into existing police evidence networks.<\/p>\n During this boom in the early 2020s, the Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office (JSO) accelerated its adoption<\/a> of Flock cameras, integrating the solar-powered systems across the city to track vehicular movement and respond to crime as part of JSO\u2019s \u201cReal-Time Crime Center\u201d initiative<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DeFlock-600x328.png\")
DeFlock is a platform designed to map the locations of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) across the United States.<\/p>\n