Ponce Inlet police are no longer using the town’s version of Flock license plate reader cameras to comply with directives from the state and Volusia County, Police Chief Jeff Glazier said.
The cameras had been in place in Ponce Inlet for about eight years. Glazier said the town is following the state’s direction as Florida reviews how license plate reader systems can be used along state roads.
The Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits for Flock and other license plate reader cameras located in state road rights-of-way. The agency cited concerns about the rapid increase in deployments, potential misuse, data privacy and surveillance.
[WATCH: Florida revokes all permits for Flock cameras on state roads]
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida does not want to become “a digital AI surveillance state where everything is being tracked at all times.”
The decision has fueled a statewide debate over privacy, public safety and the rules governing automated license plate readers. The cameras can help law enforcement locate vehicles connected to criminal investigations, but critics have raised concerns about how long data is stored and what happens when investigators identify the wrong vehicle or person.
In Volusia County, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said his office will comply with the state’s directive, although he has defended license plate readers as an important crime-fighting tool.
“If you’re a criminal, you won tonight,” Chitwood said. “If you’re a law-abiding citizen who has nothing to worry about and you were the victim of a crime, you got something to worry about.”
[WATCH: Some Florida Flock cams stay despite growing controversy]
The technology also has come under scrutiny after 23-year-old Lindsay Isaacson was incorrectly identified as the driver in a deadly crash near DeBary that killed three people. Isaacson spent two weeks in jail before the Florida Highway Patrol determined she was not responsible.
“My mug shot is everywhere for the rest of my life,” Isaacson said. “Anytime someone searches my name, it will come up.”
Glazier said police chiefs are now discussing possible reforms and legislation to establish clearer rules for how license plate reader systems are used. He attended a Florida Police Chiefs Legislative Conference meeting in Orlando, where Flock cameras and potential changes to the law were among the topics discussed.
For now, Ponce Inlet’s Flock-style cameras are not being used. The central question is whether future rules will determine where these systems can be installed, how they can be used and how law enforcement agencies manage the information they collect.