Florida agencies blocked from putting Flock cameras on state highways after DeSantis concerns

The Florida Department of Transportation on Monday blocked automated license plate reader cameras from being installed throughout the state highway system.The department’s memo means Flock camera systems must be removed from the state highway system within the next 30 days, but it will not impact local or county rights-of-way, where most ALPRs operate. As nationwide debate builds over Flock systems, officials said the order is warranted to “preserve Florida’s sovereignty and quality of life,” citing the “recent exponential increase in deployments along our roadways, coupled with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes.”Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) previewed the action last week during an appearance on Eric Bolling’s podcast. The governor said 98% of Florida’s roughly 8,000 ALPRs are operated primarily by local law enforcement rather than state agencies, but promised that any state agencies “that had a few of them are bringing them down.” “We’re going to clear the state right-of-ways,” he promised, while leaving the door open to using them for immigration enforcement if it was “very targeted.”DEFLOCK STARTED FROM ONE MAN’S CURIOSITY — NOW FLOCK CAMERAS ARE A MIDTERM ISSUE“These cameras that are out there now — who’s to say they’re only doing the license plate?” he said. “Now, they say that. I think it’s capturing people in their cars. I think it’s capturing way more information than they’re letting on. And you’ve seen the abuse.”While they were not mandated to disconnect their ALPRs by the Florida Department of Transportation order, a slew of counties on Monday said they would disconnect their Flock systems in response to the memo. Jacksonville, Franklin, Walton, Okaloosa, Liberty, Putnam, and Calhoun counties are among those turning off cameras. Franklin County Sheriff AJ Smith told WJHG that most of the county’s cameras are already on state roadways, so the county went ahead and turned those off, in addition to other cameras located on county right-of-ways. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office followed suit, citing concerns about “individual liberty.” During a press event last week at Florida International University, DeSantis said he believes the cameras are “out of control” and expressed support for passing legislation further regulating Flock systems to protect against a “surveillance state.” DeSantis said the cameras were initially used for tolling in Florida before being used for other purposes.“This was something that was kind of out there in that vein, and then with this whole Flock situation, it’s now being used not for tolling by plate or things like that, but for actual criminal surveillance,” he said. “I don’t want to have this become a surveillance state….I don’t want there to be a situation — that’s why we wanted an AI Bill of Rights.”DeSantis isn’t the only Republican leader in Florida expressing skepticism about Flock cameras. EMBATTLED CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT TO STEP ASIDE AS DADS CAUCUS CHAIRMANEarlier this summer, Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power called for a full ban on Flock systems, citing concerns about privacy rights.“Local governments have been abusing our rights by using Flock cameras to build profiles and track citizens,” Power said. “Enough is enough, let’s ban Flock cameras and protect our 4th amendment rights.”