Florida sheriff's departments have responded to arising concerns about Flock cameras in different ways.
Flock cameras — and other Automated License Plate Readers, or ALPRs — have gotten a lot of criticism for being an invasion of privacy by sharing license plate numbers and vehicle details in Flock’s data system.
The state of Florida had banned the cameras' use on state highways, but individual cities and counties can make their own decisions on their roadways.
According to a live, interactive map of Flock safety cameras, there were nearly 9,680 surveillance cameras reported in Florida as of Sept. 18. Camera clusters are in larger metro areas, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
Law enforcement agencies in 49 states use Flock cameras to support ongoing investigations. Police departments will receive alerts when a vehicle associated with a crime enters the camera network.
ALSO READ: Here’s why people are concerned about Flock cameras and other public surveillance tools
Addressing the concerns in Franklin County
Many citizens have expressed concerns that every time they go onto the road, their vehicle is being tracked and shared in the system.
On “The Florida Roundup,” Franklin County Sheriff AJ “Tony” Smith said he made the decision to turn off the cameras due to all of his citizens' concerns.
And although he agreed Flock might make law enforcement jobs easier, Smith believes they'll still be able to catch criminals and hold people accountable without the support of these cameras.
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However, this decision to get rid of the cameras created issues with the Flock company due to a contract stating that the cameras belong to Flock and are only being leased to him. Therefore, the cameras have to be taken down by Flock itself in order to stop recording.
Smith ended up unplugging the cameras so they stopped running and placed pink bags on them, so his police department cannot access the system anymore and to give the public relief. But the cameras are still collecting the data for Flock.
This comes amid ongoing controversy over the way information on the cameras' database is accessed. This is because of allegations that officers in Fort Pierce, Haines City, Vero Beach and a deputy in Brevard County have been caught maliciously using this technology to stalk their ex-wives or girlfriends.
Smith said it's crucial that law enforcement build trust with the community.
“If they abuse it, they need to be arrested and fired, bottom line,” Smith said.
Why do some counties want to keep the cameras?
But some agencies view the cameras positively. For example, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd addressed concerns and shared his perspective on the positive impact Flock cameras can have on the community.
“We’re going to find lost children, lost Alzheimer's patients, warrant suspects, and we’re never going to invade your privacy to do it,” Judd said.
Juan Caro, senior fellow for Law and Justice Policy at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), said people are willing to have this technology used by law enforcement for violent crimes or finding missing children — but not for misdemeanors or traffic offenses.
Caro addressed this and shared his experiences in how these cameras are helpful for law enforcement to identify stolen vehicles and missing children, and keep them safe as they work.
“In Texas, they were able to identify a lost minor in 18 minutes,” he told "The Florida Roundup." “A 12-year-old that was taken from Hilton Head, and they found him in 16 minutes.”
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Carlton Gillespie for "The Florida Roundup."
