PALM BAY, Fla. \u2013 FLOCK automated license plate readers in Palm Bay are going offline for a while as the city investigates their placement and construction.<\/p>\n
According to a news release, City Manager Matthew Morton says FLOCK Safety, the system vendor, may not have properly permitted or installed the cameras around the city.<\/p>\n
The system will be taken offline, and the cameras will be hooded, so the public knows they are not operating while the city conducts its review.<\/p>\n
Morton said the move is meant to show the public that the city is being transparent about the issue and holding the company accountable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen questions are raised about a system that affects public safety and public confidence, we have an obligation to stop, examine the facts and make sure everything has been done properly,\u201d Morton said in the news release.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Hundreds of license plate readers deployed in Central Florida, online maps show]<\/p>\n
As News 6 demonstrated last month, FLOCK has installed dozens, if not hundreds of cameras <\/a>across Central Florida. Many are run by governments and law enforcement agencies, but private entities like retailers and apartment complexes are also using the cameras.<\/p>\n However, a growing number of communities are also dealing with angry residents who say the cameras are an invasion of privacy and subject to misuse. For instance, the Sumter County sheriff suspended its camera system i<\/a>n July after a detective was caught using the camera system for personal reasons involving her ex-husband. <\/p>\n