Flock cameras: Former cop pushes for Palm Bay license plate reader shutdown
Former cop who pushed for Palm Bay's Flock cameras calls for shutdown
A former police officer who signed the contract to bring Flock license plate readers to Palm Bay in 2021 now says the surveillance system has gone too far and should be shut down. While the city recently suspended the automated license plate reader (ALPR) program, officials cited improper permitting—not privacy concerns—as the official reason for turning off the cameras.
PALM BAY, Fla. - A former police officer who signed the contract to bring Flock license plate readers to Palm Bay in 2021 now says the surveillance system has gone too far and should be shut down.
While the city recently suspended the automated license plate reader (ALPR) program, officials cited improper permitting—not privacy concerns—as the official reason for turning off the cameras.
The backstory:
The City of Palm Bay launched an investigation into the Flock camera network on Friday after questions were raised regarding the physical placement and installation of the equipment across town.
Following the review, city officials determined that the license plate readers "may not have been properly permitted or installed by FLOCK Safety, the system vendor, as required by the City." As a result, the city ordered an immediate suspension of the program.
Read more: Palm Bay suspends license plate cameras over permitting, installation concerns
To ensure transparency and reassure residents that the cameras are deactivated, city crews placed visible hood coverings over the lenses on Monday.
Former cop raises issues
What we know:
While city officials focus on vendor permits, the man who brought the technology to Palm Bay in 2021 says permitting misses the real issue – mass surveillance and a lack of oversight.
Lance Fisher is a former police officer for the city of Palm Bay who signed the original contract for Palm Bay police with the company Flock. Fisher says the program has morphed into something vastly different from what was originally promised to law enforcement.
"Flock is mass surveillance," said Lance Fisher. "We were absolutely sold something back in 2021 that isn’t what it is today."
Fisher explained he originally bought into the technology as a quick, reactive tool designed to alert on-duty officers when vehicles tied to active crimes entered the city.
"The whole purpose behind Flock was a reactive tool to fight crime," he said.
Instead, Fisher says he grew increasingly concerned about driver privacy and the lack of checks and balances governing officer access to the database.
His concerns reached a tipping point following a recent FOX 35 report in Sumter County, where a detective was fired and criminally charged after allegedly using the Flock system to search for information on her husband's ex-wife.
What they're saying:
"We have officers that are being arrested left and right for misuse of Flock," said Fisher.
After seeing FOX 35's report on the Sumter County case, Fisher emailed the Palm Bay City Council demanding an "immediate suspension of Flock."
Fisher maintains that focusing on municipal paperwork ignores the fundamental risk to civil liberties.
"Permitting is not the problem," said the former officer.
Flock Safety responds to concerns
Flock Safety has pushed back on general surveillance concerns. During a May city council meeting, representatives told city leaders that driver privacy is a core priority for the company.
"Privacy is also critically important," said a Flock Safety Representative during a May city council meeting in Palm Bay.
Flock representatives noted that driver data in Florida is automatically hard-deleted after 30 days unless a law enforcement agency actively saves specific footage tied to an ongoing criminal investigation.
The company added that the platform automatically logs every search conducted by user accounts so police chiefs and internal affairs investigators can audit activity.
"All of your officers' activity from the moment you sign up with the company is logged," a company representative said.
What we don't know:
- Department Policy & Training Standards: FOX 35 News has submitted a public records request to the Palm Bay Police Department asking for the current policy and guidelines dictating how officers are trained and authorized to search the Flock database.
- Audit History: It remains unknown if the department has conducted routine internal audits of officer search logs since the system was deployed in 2021, or if any unauthorized searches were ever flagged internally. FOX 35 has requested all audit records dating back to 2021 and is currently awaiting those documents.
- System's Long-Term Future: It is unclear whether city leaders will vote to reactivate the cameras once the permit review is complete or if growing pushback from residents and former law enforcement will convince the council to end the contract.
What's next:
- Comprehensive City Review: City staff are currently conducting an audit of every camera location across Palm Bay to evaluate proper permitting and hardware placement.
- City Council Vote: Once staff complete their findings, they will present a report and recommendations to the Palm Bay City Council. Council members will then decide whether to rectify the permits and turn the cameras back on or terminate the program.
- Timeline: The city has not released a public timeline for when the review will conclude or when the council vote will take place.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered by FOX 35's Esther Bower. Bower submitted a public record request to Palm Bay police for the department Flock policy and any audits done on the system.