In St. Lucie County, Florida, the discovery of eleven unpermitted Flock surveillance cameras has raised questions about their origin and purpose. This finding came to light after county officials decided to take down the advanced, often controversial cameras that monitor traffic and capture driver information, as reported by the Washington Post.
Initially, officials believed there were just 52 of these cameras in use. However, upon further inspection, they found 14 devices operating without the necessary permits.
The county sheriff’s department claimed ownership of three cameras, leaving 11 unaccounted for, which has led to local residents feeling uneasy about who is collecting detailed data on their movements.
One resident, Todd Richter, expressed his discomfort, saying, “I’m not happy about it unless I know who it is,” adding that he lacks that knowledge.
It remains unclear why permits for these cameras were never obtained by the sheriff’s office.
According to county representatives, notices have been placed on the unidentified cameras, giving potential owners a short window—from October 16 to October 20—to remove them, depending on when the notice was posted.
If these cameras go unclaimed, the county plans to cover their lenses with plastic bags.
A spokesperson for Flock stated that while they often manage permitting as required, those protocols vary by location and aren’t needed everywhere.
Flock also noted that they reached out to the county to offer assistance in examining the situation and resolving any issues that arise, but it’s unclear whether the county will accept this offer.
Ty Grant, a resident near a Flock camera, expressed his concern about the lack of information regarding who installed it. He mentioned feeling unsafe upon learning that its origins are unknown.
This situation coincides with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ directive to the Florida Department of Transportation to rescind existing permits for automated license-plate recognition systems, including Flock’s products, due to privacy concerns raised by the public.
These AI-powered surveillance cameras are deployed across the country, including in the tristate area. For example, in Nassau County, drivers encounter a Flock camera approximately every 9.5 miles, positioning the area among the highest for surveillance density in the U.S. According to data from an activist group called DeFlock, this puts Nassau residents in the top 3% of those who are monitored most closely.
In Connecticut, several towns have partnered with the company BusPatrol to install license-plate-reading cameras on school buses, aimed at enforcing laws against drivers ignoring stop signs when children are boarding or disembarking.
It’s worth noting that while Flock cameras provide constant monitoring, the cameras deployed by BusPatrol do not facilitate round-the-clock surveillance.
Concerns about the widespread use of such surveillance tools have been voiced by figures in both the corporate world and government, cautioning that an excessive presence of cameras could undermine public privacy.
Mark Beall, director of Pentagon AI police, expressed on Fox News the need to be vigilant against creating a “China-like surveillance state” as these technologies become more prevalent, stating, “We have to be careful that we don’t go too far to the other direction.”
As of now, neither Flock nor St. Lucie County officials have provided additional comments regarding the situation.
