Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the removal of automated license plate readers from state roads Aug. 30. Law enforcement agencies in Florida have until Sept. 30 to remove them.
Automated license plate readers use artificial intelligence to read and track license plates.
Flock Safety is a private security company contracted by law enforcement agencies throughout the United States to purchase ALPRs. The technology collects vehicle data, such as make, model and license plate information.
The information is logged in a searchable database and deleted after seven days unless an authorized investigation or law requires otherwise, according to Flock Safety’s website.
The data retention period used to last 30 days, but Flock Safety announced Aug. 13 it was lowering it to seven.
DeSantis voiced concerns about ALPRs ahead of the order, urging the federal government to oversee privacy concerns.
In an Aug. 26 press conference held at Florida International University, DeSantis said the use of ALPRs was “out of control.” He supports legislative efforts to regulate AI surveillance, he said.
Law enforcement agencies across the country have faced privacy concerns after cases involving the misuse of ALPRs have become increasingly common.
In Central Florida, a Haines City Police Department officer faced one count of official misconduct after being accused of using Flock Safety camera data on- and off-duty to track his ex-wife more than 700 times.
Following the order to remove ALPRs from state roads, the Florida Department of Transportation told local law enforcement agencies to remove or deactivate the cameras to comply with the state mandate.
The removal only applies to ALPRs located on right-of-way state highways. Residential streets maintained by Gainesville or Alachua County generally don’t fall into this category.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office has 27 cameras that met the criteria for removal, according to a statement on Facebook from Sheriff Chad D. Scott.
Scott recognized privacy concerns in the post but defended the use of cameras. When used appropriately, he wrote, they have helped the department solve homicides, robberies and missing person cases. ACSO has strict policies governing ALPR technology, he added.
Following the FDOT memo, the Gainesville Police Department suspended use of the cameras, though it’s unclear whether they will be removed or temporarily deactivated. As of February, GPD had 10 Flock Safety cameras that cost $25,000.
In the Facebook post announcing the suspension, GPD Chief Nelson Moya emphasized GPD’s commitment to working with residents to address public safety concerns after the cameras’ deactivation. Body cameras will continue to be used by the department, he added.
“We will continue to evaluate available resources and practices to ensure the department can effectively address crime and protect the Gainesville community,” he wrote.
Locals investigate
At an Aug. 25 Alachua County Commission meeting, Sam Cornell, a 26-year-old St. Augustine resident and nephew of the county commission chair, spoke at public comment to bring up data-sharing concerns surrounding ALPRs like Flock Safety and Axon.
Axon Enterprise is a technology company that produces public safety equipment, like body cameras and fixed cameras such as ALPRs. Unlike Flock Safety, Axon allows law enforcement to decide how long recorded data is stored.
“It was my view that when I presented this to the county commission, this was the first time all five of them had heard of it in detail,” Cornell said.
Before the meeting, Cornell said he filed several public records requests with ACSO and other North Florida law enforcement agencies requesting their contracts with ALPR companies and data-sharing practices.
Cornell’s 42-page report details the origins of Flock Safety contracts in Alachua County, including ACSO’s Flock Safety program, which began in 2024 with the purchase of five cameras for $35,000 and has since expanded to 26 cameras.
This year, the sheriff's office entered a 10-year program with Axon to install 40 solar-powered ALPR cameras across the county for over $900,000.
Cornell obtained a Flock Safety sharing list, he said, which revealed Alachua County shares data from ALPRs with over 1,500 organizations. These organizations range from private apartment complexes to out-of-state departments.
“So, in a sense, people don't know where their data is going,” he said. “I would say people are more upset about the technology than responsive [to it].”
He hopes local government officials will continue to discuss ALPRs and hold meetings to address community concerns, he added. He said the county should follow the state’s direction and take down cameras until receiving public input on how to move forward.
“The public has to come talk about it,” he said, “and then that can lead to actionable solutions.”
Community initiatives
At the Aug. 25 county commission meeting, Commissioner Anna Prizzia echoed concerns about data sharing. In an email to The Alligator, Prizzia wrote she is mainly concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding contracts with ALPR companies. She’s worried about for-profit companies selling and accessing vehicle information, she added.
“I believe any surveillance of the community should be transparent, with deployment reported regularly, done with diligence and assurance it is protecting people's civil liberties,” Prizzia wrote. “It should have very defined, limited goals for public safety that are clear to the public and that define the data management.”
Concerns over surveillance technology have been echoed online and led to meetings and protests for their removal.
Around 20 students joined members of Solidarity Gainesville, a libertarian socialist group, Sept. 9 in a demonstration at UF encouraging the school to remove ALPRs from campus.
Hannah Letzelter, a 21-year-old statistics senior and member of Solidarity Gainesville, said she’s concerned about data sharing through ALPRs. Data storage disproportionately affects marginalized groups like women and immigrants, she said.
She pointed to the use of Flock Safety cameras to stalk ex-partners and a case in which the Johnson County Sheriff's Office in Texas used the cameras to track a woman across state lines who they said had a self-administered abortion.
Social media movements against ALPRs have surged online. DeFlock Gainesville, an Instagram account dedicated to posting information about Flock Safety cameras and other ALPR companies, has amassed almost 3,000 followers as of Sept. 13.
“This is kind of popular,” Letzelter said. “This anti-Flock stuff is kind of galvanizing people who aren't usually into organizing because it's been very popular on social media.”
Contact Olivia Lofaso at olofaso@alligator.org. Follow her on X @OLofaso77652.
Olivia Lofaso is a senior journalism student at UF and the Fall 2026 City and County Commission reporter, a role she previously held during the summer. She enjoys gushing about her cocker spaniels to anyone who will listen and playing the cello in her free time.
