Business Insider reported that several Florida sheriff’s offices said they would stop using Flock cameras after a state decision, extending a broader retreat from the technology. The announcements included offices in Franklin County, Liberty County and Putnam County, while the Jacksonville sheriff said his department would end license plate-reader use throughout Duval County. Sheriff T.K. Waters said the devices had helped with investigations, including serious-crime cases and efforts to find missing and vulnerable people, but he attributed the decision to the state action and concerns from residents.
Florida’s Department of Transportation is withdrawing permits for automated license plate readers on roads within the state highway system, according to a memo issued Monday. The department said the cameras must be taken down within 30 days of the memo.
Flock Safety has faced mounting criticism over the readers, known as ALPRs, which are installed along roads and at intersections in thousands of towns across the US. The systems capture and retain license plate information, and law enforcement agencies use that data to support investigations. Critics have raised privacy concerns, while the company has also faced scrutiny over plate-reading errors and cases in which those errors contributed to wrongful arrests.
The response has included residents seeking camera removals and people taking down or covering devices with trash bags or paint, according to Business Insider.
The Florida decisions follow other local withdrawals from Flock, including Tempe, Arizona’s plan last week to deactivate its network of 33 cameras because of misuse concerns and the need to preserve community trust. The Los Angeles Police Department allowed its Flock contract to expire in July.
Business Insider said an investigation published in March identified a dozen cases involving a misread plate or an alert that officers did not verify, resulting in several instances of people who had not committed crimes being stopped or detained. In July, Business Insider reported that Flock cameras in Roseville, California, misread license plates in 71% of alerts sent to police during 2023 and 2024.
Flock did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.