Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking an emphatic position against automated license plate reader cameras.
He’s now calling for legislative action to curb the devices around the state, like those from Flock Safety and other vendors.
“I think these cameras, the license plate readers, I think it’s out of control,” DeSantis said at Florida International University in Miami.
As reported last year by GovTech, at least 100 law enforcement agencies in the state use Flock license plate reader (LPR) cameras. That’s part of a national network estimated at more than 100,000 cameras, a sprawl the grassroots group DeFlock, which opposes the technology, has been documenting on a crowdsourced public map.
There are nearly 7,500 LPRs in Florida, according to WUFT.
DeSantis worries that the increasingly ubiquitous devices threaten civil liberties and could lead to a “surveillance state.”
While he acknowledges that state agencies use the tools, he says the bulk of the action is with “Police Departments and Sheriff’s Departments, by and large.”
“I’m all about having law enforcement have tools to be able to hold criminals accountable. I think that’s important that we do that. And no one’s been stronger on law enforcement than me. But I don’t want to have this become a surveillance state,” DeSantis said.
He noted that Flock relies on artificial intelligence, whose excesses he tried to address via the AI bill of rights, legislation that the Senate passed but the House would not consider.
“Whether it’s online with digital surveillance or whether it’s with cameras, at what point are we just going to be free to be not have to deal with any of that? And so I think it needs to be overhauled for sure,” DeSantis said, urging citizens to ask people running for office where they stand on the technology.
He noted that New Hampshire bans the installation of the cameras along public roads, suggesting that could be model legislation for Florida. While law enforcement using them in vehicles is permissible, the data must be purged quickly.
DeSantis spoke about a recent, widely reported incident of a Florida police officer using Flock for surveillance of an estranged wife.
“What the hell’s going on with this?” DeSantis said, recounting his reaction to seeing that news. “I think this has happened very quickly. I think people are right to be concerned.”
Various cities and counties in the state have explored bans on the technology, which is one of many issues in November’s race for Governor.
Republican Byron Donalds said if he is elected in November, he will work with law enforcement leadership to set parameters around Flock cameras and related technology. He previously called for a “full and immediate pause” on the adoption of Flock and similar systems, but signaled a more gradual approach after a recent conversation with the Florida Sheriffs Association.
“I’m a realist. You have to be able to get that through both the House and Senate in Tallahassee. So what then will happen is you’ll have Sheriffs who’ll come in, and they’ll talk directly to their representatives from their communities. And so you can say whatever you want in a campaign trail, you’ve got to be able to deliver that in policy,” Donalds explained.
Democrat David Jolly, Donalds’ General Election opponent, said search warrants should be required before law enforcement can use the data the cameras collect.
Meanwhile, the Florida Democrats take a skeptical view.
“Republicans have been in charge for 30 years, and instead of protecting Floridians’ privacy, they allowed this technology to spread without meaningful safeguards. Now the governor wants credit for sounding the alarm,” said Chair Nikki Fried. “David Jolly has been clear on where he stands: police should need a warrant before they can use your Flock camera data, full stop. Floridians shouldn’t have to guess whether their government needs permission to track their every move.”
DeSantis has latitude to call a Special Session with the current Legislature, though the House under Speaker Daniel Perez declined to take up the AI bill of rights this year. He could also wait until after November, when Wyman Duggan, who is the Speaker Pro Tempore currently leading the House, and new Senate leadership may be more receptive to a revamped version.
DeSantis’ office says there is no “intel” as of yet regarding plans to do that.
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