Flock cameras appear in Florida town – but nobody knows who is running them
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Florida officials thought they knew how many controversial Flock Safety surveillance cameras were operating on county roads. Then they started taking them down and got a surprise.
St. Lucie County officials previously identified 52 authorized cameras before workers discovered 14 additional automated license-plate readers that had not been approved by the county – and officials still don't know who installed most of them, the Washington Post reports.
The discovery has raised questions about who installed the cameras, whether they were collecting motorists' data and who could access it.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office has since claimed three of the mystery cameras but has not explained why they were not among the devices previously authorized by the county.
The county's other two law enforcement agencies said none of the remaining cameras belonged to them, leaving 11 without a publicly identified owner. It is also unclear whether they are still operational or whether anyone is receiving the information they collect.
Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company, makes automated license-plate readers that photograph passing vehicles and record license plates, along with the time and location, to help law enforcement investigate crimes, locate stolen vehicles and find missing people. But the technology has come under increasing scrutiny because it can create a detailed record of where people's vehicles have been.
In St. Lucie County, a former Fort Pierce police officer was arrested in September on four felony counts after allegedly accessing Flock’s license-plate database 382 times to track a vehicle registered to his ex-girlfriend, mostly while off duty and without a legitimate law enforcement purpose, according to local media.
St. Lucie County spokesperson Erick Gill told The Post that officials have placed notices on the newly discovered Flock cameras, giving whoever installed them 30 days to remove them. Depending on when the notices were posted, the deadlines fall between October 16 and 20.
Until then, county workers plan to cover the cameras with plastic bags to prevent them from collecting data.
One mystery camera had been installed along 25th Street in Fort Pierce, near a residential neighborhood. By the time The Post visited last week, it had disappeared, although a removal notice remained wrapped around the pole.
Officials said they did not know who removed it or when, the outlet reports.
Ty Grant, 28, who lives several hundred feet from the location, said he had seen the camera and assumed it belonged to local police. Learning that officials did not know who had installed it changed how he viewed the device.
"That makes me feel very unsafe," Grant said.
Flock sells cameras to law enforcement agencies and private organizations and generally handles permitting and installation, according to The Post.
Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel said the company had contacted St. Lucie County and was willing to help identify the cameras.
"We have reached out to St. Lucie County and are happy to work with them directly to review the cameras in question and address any discrepancies," Lewbel told The Post.
Lewbel also said Flock applies for permits "where required, but permitting requirements vary by jurisdiction and are not necessary in every location."
St. Lucie County requires permits for cameras through its Planning and Development department.
Similar unsettling incidents have occurred elsewhere, with officials in Massachusetts and Utah reportedly finding Flock cameras installed without clear authorization. A 2024 Forbes investigation also found Flock cameras installed without required permits in several states, including Florida.
The Independent has contacted the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and Flock for comment.
