Flock license plate readers face growing concerns from Palm Bay officials

PALM BAY, Fla. - Flock license plate readers have been turned back on across Palm Bay, but their future is far from secure. 

Growing concern over mass surveillance and potential misuse has sparked heated debate from local city halls all the way to the state capital.

The backstory:

Palm Bay was one of the first municipalities on the Space Coast to deploy Flock automated license plate readers (ALPR). Today, 51 of these high-tech cameras are scattered throughout the city to help law enforcement track vehicles linked to crimes.

However, pushback against the network has mounted both locally and nationally.

Read more: Palm Bay completes FLOCK camera review

Across Central Florida and the country, FOX 35 has been reporting on a troubling trend of camera system misuse. Multiple law enforcement officers nationwide have faced termination or arrest after allegedly abusing access to automated license plate databases to stalk ex-lovers, former partners and acquaintances.

These high-profile security breaches have brought the technology under heavy fire, prompting questions about data protection, individual privacy, and government overreach.

What are Flock cameras?

Sometimes referred to as license plater readers (LPRs) or automated license plater readers (ALPRs), these cameras take photographs of every passing vehicle, license plate, and record the date, time, and location the photograph was captured.

That database can be accessed by law enforcement for information potentially related to active criminal investigations or missing persons cases, etc.

Law enforcement leaders have described license plate readers as a valuable investigative tool.

New council concerns on Flock

What they're saying:

The privacy warnings are now being echoed by top state leadership and Palm Bay council members alike.

"I think these cameras... the license plate readers... I think it's out of control," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated this week, expressing deep concern over Florida turning into a surveillance state.

Inside Palm Bay City Hall, several sitting councilmen are also concerned.

"I’m very skeptical of these type of government network tracking system," said Councilman Chandler Langevin.

Langevin warned that the technology sets a dangerous precedent for future overreach. 

"It can be a gateway to worse technology. You see what’s happening in China—the CCP with facial recognition and AI. It could eventually lead to something like that."

Councilman Kenny Johnson noted that the pushback from residents has become overwhelming. "The majority of the feedback I’m hearing is to get rid of Flock," Johnson said. "It can be weaponized if it’s in the wrong hands, and I think that’s the biggest concern by residents and in our nation."

Councilman Mike Jaffe also weighed in, providing a statement to FOX 35 outlining his reservations:

"My hope when I raised my concerns was that the City would pause long enough to thoroughly verify compliance and allow time for the new governor election and the expected state legislation that more than likely preempt local government decisions. I support public safety, but not at the expense of process, compliance, or public trust."

While all three council members emphasized that they fully trust Palm Bay Police officers to use the devices appropriately and recognize their value as a crime-fighting tool, they maintain that officers will still successfully solve crimes without them.

Flock implements mandatory guardrails

LiveNOW from FOX previously reported Flock Safety is making changes to its platform after drawing criticism over privacy concerns and abusing the systems.

The company shared it was making changes backlash over privacy concerns and documented cases of law enforcement abusing the system, including: requiring all law enforcement customers to implement an audit tool that’s intended to flag abnormal search behavior and shortening the standard data retention window from 30 days to seven to allow data to be preserved for longer when it is evidence tied to a case number.

Flock license plate readers were used to aid law enforcement in locating a man accused of killing his wife in Altamonte Springs, deputies said. He was taken into custody after a three-hour SWAT standoff. 

What's next:

With public pressure building, local leaders are looking for broader interventions. Councilman Langevin stated he would like to see Governor DeSantis call a special session to address the issue, adding, "Let’s ban Flock cameras statewide."

Councilman Johnson is ready to act locally if state-level bans do not occur first. "I’m in favor of going ahead and removing them," Johnson said. "That’s the will of the people."

The future of Palm Bay's 51 license plate readers is expected to come up at an upcoming city council meeting.

Crime and Public Safety