The Florida Department of Transportation has revoked local law enforcement agencies’ approval to place automated license plate recognition (LPR) systems on state highways.

In a one-page memo, Will Watts, the chief operating officer of the Florida Department of Transportation, said LPR systems must be removed from state rights-of-way within 30 days.

NBC News explained further:

Watts cited a “recent exponential increase” in deployments of law enforcement cameras, as well as “concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes” that he said merit immediate action “to preserve Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life.”

Automatic license plate cameras are mounted to surveil roads throughout the United States, recording which vehicles pass by and when, often with the goal of catching criminal suspects or developing leads. The technology has been around since the 1970s but has spread widely in the past few years as the software has improved and the cost of hardware has fallen. Flock provides a network to customers that allows law enforcement groups from across the country to share footage from their cameras with other agencies and departments, prompting concerns about abuse.

The memo fulfills a vow from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who last week said that surveillance had gone too far.

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Read the full memo below:

“Our agencies that had a few of them are bringing them down. We’re going to clear the state right-of-ways,” DeSantis said last week.

“Bringing Them Down” – Ron DeSantis Announces Action Against Flock Safety Cameras

"As the elected Sheriff of Duval County, it is my responsibility to listen to the concerns of our citizens and act accordingly. Today, the Florida Department of Transportation announced the revocation of the permits and licenses it provided to law enforcement agencies for the use of license plate reader (LPR) technology on state roads. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will fully comply with FDOT’s directive," Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said in a statement.

"Additionally, at my direction, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will discontinue the use of LPR technology throughout Duval County effective immediately. LPR technology has proven to be an enormously valuable investigative tool, assisting our agency in solving serious crimes and locating missing and vulnerable individuals. However, given the decision made at the state level and the concerns expressed by members of our community, I have determined that discontinuing the use of this technology is the appropriate course of action at this time," Waters continued.

"The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office remains fully committed to providing the highest level of public safety services to the people of Jacksonville. We will continue to use every tool, resource, and technology available to prevent crime, solve cases, and protect our community," he added.

More from First Coast News:

The announcement follows a public meeting held Friday by Jacksonville City Council member Jimmy Peluso, who gathered feedback from residents both for and against the use of the cameras.

Peluso says he applauds the decision, saying some community members voiced concerns during the meeting about privacy and data collection.

“I think for everyone who questions the constitutionality of these devices who are concerned about the misuse of surveillance in our state and who are, you know just kind of concerned about this third party that is you know able to kinda take our data and do Lord knows what with it. I think it’s a huge win,” Peluso said.

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We spoke to people on both sides of the issue.

"Florida is a free state," Dragon Belloit said. "Not a surveillance one."

"The bottom line is facts don't lie," Latasha Hobbs said. "These cameras are effective."

For Belloit, who spearheaded a petition to get these cameras removed from Duval County, the order is a win.

"I'm very, very happy with this result," Belloit said. "We were prepared to fight on this for years. They were coming up out of nowhere. We didn't know who was accessing them. We didn't know who was paying for them. Where is it coming from? Why so fast? What are the rules around it? Are we actually auditing the way we should?"

For Hobbs, the cameras represent something different: a possible lead for families whose cases still have no answers.

 

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