Public pushback against Flock Safety and similar automated license plater reader systems really began to intensify this summer, creating an unlikely coalition of liberals and conservatives.
Some politicians are now beginning to pay attention. The governor of Florida – Ron Desantis – recently ordered that all Flock cameras be removed from state highways and routes. The state of Florida also issued a freeze on all new permits.
However, proponents of automated license plate reader systems will tell you that the good far outweighs the bad.
Sheriff Bill Massee, for example, calls Flock “an extremely useful tool for investigations.” Massee referenced the murder of Demarion Byrd, a 10-year-old boy just fatally wounded during a drive-by shooting in March 2023, which was two months after the BCSO first began using Flock.
“Within 30 minutes, we had the license plate of the car (used in the drive-by). All four people responsible are now in prison,” he said.
Massee added that “it would be hard to count the number of times” that Flock data “helped us solve a crime and make an arrest.”