By Steve Plunkett
While a new ban on license plate reader systems on state roads appears to threaten the cameras being used by area police as essential crime-fighting tools along State Road A1A, those agencies are optimistic they can keep theirs operating.
The Florida Department of Transportation on Aug. 31 revoked permits to operate license plate readers, such as those by Flock Safety, and gave agencies 30 days to remove LPRs from the rights-of-way of all state roads, U.S. highways and interstates. But many of the local A1A cameras are on private property — and others can be moved there.
The ban “is certainly going to be a blow for law enforcement across the state,” said Manalapan Police Chief Jeff Rasor, adding that his department would be looking for “alternate locations.”
Moving the offending cameras elsewhere also appeared to be the route being taken in Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes and Gulf Stream.
“We do have a few that were permitted on state roads and we are exploring relocating to private property,” Ocean Ridge Police Chief Scott McClure said.
McClure called license plate readers “one of the most effective crime-solving tools we have seen in law enforcement.”
“Our LPR system has helped us solve numerous burglaries, fraud cases, missing-person investigations, shootings, and cases involving stolen vehicles and license plates,” he said. “With the assistance of this technology and our officers’ proactive efforts, property crime in our town has decreased by 81% over the past three years.”
But the cameras have also become embroiled in controversy.
“While Florida law limits the issuance of permits for LPR systems to law enforcement agencies, the recent exponential increase in deployments along our roadways, coupled with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes merit immediate action to preserve Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life,” Will Watts, FDOT’s assistant secretary, wrote in a memo to LPR permit holders.
Gov. Ron DeSantis in August called the proliferation of LPRs “out of control” and said the state needs stronger laws on how data collected by such cameras is used.
“When I see like a police officer using this to track like an ex-girlfriend, I’m like, ‘You know, what the hell’s going on with this?’” DeSantis said.
Rasor said law enforcement officials who ignore privacy rights should be “disciplined severely” but that he had heard no complaints about the system from Manalapan residents. “The exact opposite,” Rasor said.
Gulf Stream Police Chief Richard Jones, who said his town may have only one camera affected by the ban, also said he has no problem with the governor’s call for stricter laws on the cameras.
“First and foremost, I am not opposed to legislative changes and safeguards to protect the rights of citizens while also creating criminal penalties for misuse of the data or the system,” he said.
Flock Safety, the main target of the FDOT action, also supported action by the Legislature.
“Rather than banning a critical public safety tool, we support thoughtful legislation and strong privacy, transparency, and accountability guardrails that ensure technology is used responsibly while preserving law enforcement’s ability to use effective tools to keep people safe,” the company said in a statement.
Some agencies were less clear on the impact of the state action.
“We’re evaluating any cameras on State Road A1A,” was all that Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann would say.
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