ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. \u2014 A growing debate over the use of Flock license plate-reading cameras in St. Petersburg could make its way to City Hall on Thursday, as a council member pushes for a closer look at the city\u2019s contract and how the technology is being used.<\/p>\n
Council member Richie Floyd is asking for a discussion about the city\u2019s contract with Flock Safety and its use of the cameras. The issue is currently listed as a referral item to the Public Services and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday\u2019s City Council agenda.<\/p>\n
While the action itself is largely procedural, the meeting will likely mark the beginning of a broader conversation over a technology that has become a hot-button issue in communities across the country.<\/p>\n
In St. Pete, a resident who calls himself the \u2018Flock Blocker\u2019 recently protested the cameras. A newly formed group called \u2018Deflock St. Pete\u2019 is raising concerns about how much information the cameras collect and where that data goes.<\/p>\n
The St. Pete Police Department began using Flock cameras in 2022 as part of what was originally a pilot program. In early 2024, city council approved a five-year contract as part of its consent agenda that expanded the system to about 50 cameras.<\/p>\n
Floyd is now asking the city commission to have the discussion that wasn\u2019t had when the program was passed initially.<\/p>\n
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway has defended the technology, saying the cameras have helped detectives make arrests in three high-profile cases in recent months. Holloway said the cameras photograph license plates, not people\u2019s faces, and give investigators a starting point when crimes occur.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tool will be used the right way, we\u2019re being very transparent about it,\u201d Holloway said earlier this month. \u201cAnd it is here for us to get a starting point when a crime happens in our city. To help us to continue to make our city safer.\u201d<\/p>\n