The Florida Department of Transportation has ordered automated license plate readers, including Flock cameras, removed from state roads, after Gov. Ron DeSantis directed that they be taken off what he calls the “state highway system.”
The Timeline
FDOT issued the memorandum Monday, giving local law enforcement agencies 30 days, until September 30, to remove the cameras from state highway rights-of-way, including interstates like I-10 and I-75. If agencies don’t comply, the state says it will remove the cameras itself.
Why DeSantis Is Doing It
During an August 26 news conference, DeSantis acknowledged that Flock cameras can help law enforcement solve crimes, but said he doesn’t want Florida to become a “surveillance state.”
Recent Controversies Around the Cameras
The order follows scrutiny over how the cameras have been used. The Florida Highway Patrol used Flock camera data more than 250 times between March and May for immigration-related purposes as part of “Operation Tidal Wave,” a federal-state-local sweep that led to more than 1,100 arrests. Separately, a Monroe County sheriff’s deputy faced criminal charges after investigators said he searched the license-plate database dozens of times to locate a woman he had met on a film set.
What’s Not Affected
The order applies only to the state highway system. Cameras can remain on city and county roads unless the state legislature acts to further restrict them next year.
