Palm Bay completes FLOCK camera review; plans to turn cameras back on

PALM BAY, Fla. - FLOCK cameras will soon be turned back on in Palm Bay.

The City of Palm Bay said Monday it had completed its review of the permits and installations of the license plate readers following concerns that were raised earlier this month. Officials said all cameras have undergone their final inspections and been given approval.

FLOCK camera concerns in Palm Bay were tied to final inspections

The backstory:

On Aug. 7, the City of Palm Bay announced the immediate suspension of its FLOCK camera program following an investigation into whether the cameras were properly permitted and installed.

On Aug. 24, the City of Palm Bay said the concerns had to do with final inspections being requested for each of the cameras. That had not yet happened.

Since Aug. 7, however, FLOCK Safety, the company behind the cameras, submitted a request for final inspection. The city conducted those inspections, verified that each camera was properly installed, and gave their final approval. 

Timeline:

The City of Palm Bay said it would begin turning on its FLOCK cameras, but did not provide a specific date for when that would happen.

What they're saying:

"LPR’s were taken offline as an administrative action pending a permitting review," said City Manager Matthew Morton in a statement.

"We have now verified each location, corrected the issue, and confirmed that the installations meet City requirements. With the permitting process complete, there is no longer a permitting basis to keep the system offline."

"When questions were raised, we did not ignore them. We stopped the system, reviewed the facts, and made sure the proper requirements were met," Mayor Rob Medina said in a statement.

"This was not about abandoning a public safety tool. It was about accountability and ensuring that our own policies and permitting standards were being followed. Those issues have now been addressed and rectified, and we can move forward knowing the City took the appropriate steps to protect both public trust and public safety."

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 records 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.

Concerns over tracking, surveillance, privacy

While Flock cameras have been in place for years, recently, concerns have been newly raised regarding surveillance, tracking, and privacy.

On its website, Flock Safety said it does not identify people by faces, does not identify who is inside a vehicle, and does not "continuously track people or vehicles."

Related: Flock Safety to tighten surveillance rules, audit checks following backlash

Flock recently changed its recommended data retention period from 30 days to 7 days, though each customer can decide how long it wants to keep data for, according to its website. Click here to read more.

Law enforcement has also been dealing with suspected damage and vandalism of license plate reader cameras across the country.

An 18-year-old was arrested for allegedly using a saw to cut cameras down in Volusia County. A 43-year-old man allegedly used green spray paint to cover six cameras in Orange and Seminole counties.

The Oviedo Police Department recently installed a fake, 3D-printed license plate reader camera to catch someone suspected of damaging other cameras. In that case, a man was arrested for allegedly using pruning shears to cut down the decoy.

Palm BayFlorida News