A Flock camera, similar to the one used by the Cape Coral Police Department.
\nPHOTO BY TEXDOE via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS<\/p>\n
The Cape Coral Police Department announced on Tuesday it will no longer use Automated License Plate Reader technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The change is due to a \u201clack of clear and consistent statewide statutory guidance,\u201d ALPR technology is discontinued as a tool for officers and investigators, CCPD Chief Anthony Sizemore detailed in a prepared statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the Cape Coral Police Department, we have spent more than a decade developing policies and practices designed to ensure this technology is used responsibly, and in a manner consistent with the constitutional rights of the people we serve,\u201d Sizemore said. \u201cBut the environment in Florida has changed. Our Governor has made his position on ALPR technology clear: He supports law enforcement and its mission, but wants the Legislature to establish safeguards and guardrails by drafting state law governing the use of this technology. The Florida Department of Transportation has taken actions affecting the use of this technology on state roadways. At the same time, there remains a lack of clear and consistent statewide statutory guidance establishing the rules under which law enforcement agencies should operate. I don\u2019t believe local law enforcement should be left to navigate that uncertainty on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sizemore said his decision is not because he feels the technology is bad or has been improperly used by the department, but because he feels elected officials need to establish a clear legal framework for the use of the technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive law enforcement the guardrails,\u201d he stated. \u201cEstablish the standards. Define the accountability. Protect individual constitutional rights. Then let us do our jobs. At some point, we have to stop asking local law enforcement agencies to navigate this issue in a vacuum. If the state believes this technology requires additional safeguards-and I believe reasonable safeguards are appropriate-then it is time for the Legislature to establish them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sizemore said during the time ALPR technology has been used by the department, it has helped solve crimes and develop leads that may not have existed otherwise. He said the technology has played a role in \u201cmultiple\u201d homicide investigations, helping the department identify and arrest violent offenders that are now serving serious prison sentences. He said it has also helped CCPD locate stolen vehicles, identify suspects, find missing people, and hold crimes accountable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a tool. Nothing more-and nothing less,\u201d Sizemore said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t replace good police work. It makes good police work more effective. I also recognize that there are legitimate questions surrounding ALPR technology, including privacy, data retention, access, sharing, and accountability. Those questions deserve thoughtful answers and appropriate safeguards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sizemore said for, he will step back and wait for lawmakers to establish framework, and that when it is in place, the department will evaluate and determine how-and whether-ALPR technology can be responsibly returned to service.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remain hopeful that it will be,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause I believe we can protect individual rights and give law enforcement the tools necessary to protect our communities. We don\u2019t have to choose between public safety and constitutional rights. We have an obligation to protect both.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay said he will request that the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council end its contract with Flock Safety for its license plate reader cameras. The town council approved the license plate reader cameras initially in 2022, and in 2023 a five-year contract with the company was approved at $15,000 per year for the cameras. There are two cameras located on the Matanzas Pass Bridge and two cameras on Big Carlos Pass Bridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not comfortable with the current contract structure, under which we pay only for camera installation but have no role in operating or monitoring them, and no oversight of those who do,\u201d McKannay said Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Lee County Sheriff\u2019s Office has access to the license plate readers on Fort Myers Beach through an agreement with Flock Safety. McKannay said the Town of Fort Myers Beach doesn\u2019t have a separate contract with the Lee County Sheriff\u2019s Office regarding the Flock Safety cameras and license plate readers that he knows about.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLee County Sheriff\u2019s Office monitors the license plate readers, and while we have a strong relationship with them and no specific concerns about their trustworthiness or compliance practices regarding the cameras, we currently have no formal agreements in place with LCSO to protect the town\u2019s interests,\u201d McKannay said.<\/p>\n
Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg contributed to this report.<\/p>\n