Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says the removal of automatic license plate reader cameras from state roads hindered a manhunt.
A Statewide Order Forces Cameras Down
The removals stem from an order from the Florida Department of Transportation directing that all automatic license plate reader cameras, including those made by Flock, come down from state highway rights-of-way by September 30, according to LkldNow. The state agency's memo revoked all existing permits for the devices and said it would deny any future requests for such systems on state-controlled roadways. Flock cameras read license plates and can also capture other vehicle details, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
Judd, who has been vocal about the fallout from the order, criticized the decision to strip the cameras from state roads. The Polk County Sheriff's Office had already begun removing affected cameras by September 1 and expected to finish the process within 30 days, per the same LkldNow report. The agency will keep operating license plate readers that sit on roads outside state rights-of-way, meaning its camera network shrinks but does not disappear entirely.
Judd Says Camera Removal Hindered Manhunt
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Judd said camera removal hindered a manhunt.
A Tool Sheriffs Call Essential, With Caveats
Judd has described Flock-style cameras as an important public-safety tool, even as he argues Florida needs stronger rules governing how they're used. He said the state needs robust rules that ensure privacy, an auditing process, and an accountability process, per LkldNow. That call for guardrails, rather than outright rejection of the technology, has put him somewhat at odds with the state's decision to pull the devices from its roads altogether.
The fallout isn't limited to Polk County. Tampa said it would remove 17 cameras from the State Highway System, even as its police department credited the readers with aiding 622 arrests, recovering 485 vehicles and 68 firearms, and helping in 14 missing-person cases, according to WUSF. Pasco County reported it was removing all 70 of its Flock cameras located in county and state rights-of-way, the outlet noted, underscoring how widely the order has rippled across Tampa Bay-area law enforcement.
Reactions to the rollback have been mixed among law enforcement leaders, with some emphasizing lost investigative capability and others pointing to privacy concerns that fueled the state's move in the first place, WUSF reported. Crowd-sourced tracking site DeFlock has logged 306 cameras across Polk County, though that figure comes from public contributors rather than an official tally. As the September 30 deadline approaches, some agencies are removing cameras while sheriffs like Judd continue pressing the state for a policy that balances public safety against privacy protections.
