St. Lucie County finds 11 unclaimed Flock surveillance cameras after contract termination
Officials in St. Lucie County, Florida, discovered 11 unauthorized Flock AI-powered cameras while removing equipment following the cancellation of a county contract.
St. Lucie County officials uncovered 66 Flock surveillance cameras during the removal process after the county ended its contract for the AI-powered devices. The original agreement authorized 52 cameras, leaving 14 extra units, of which three automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) were later acknowledged by the sheriff's office as county property. The remaining 11 cameras have not been claimed by any local law-enforcement agency.
ALPRs from Flock and other vendors capture license plates of passing vehicles and store the data in searchable databases, allowing authorities to link plates to investigations. Critics say the technology can lead to searches without warrants when plates are flagged, and several police departments nationwide have faced scrutiny for misuse.
The county has temporarily covered the unclaimed cameras with plastic and posted notices that they will be removed within 30 days, a deadline expected between Oct. 16 and Oct. 20. One unit has already been removed, according to reports.
Flock representatives said the company can install ALPRs in certain locations without a government permit, and private entities are able to contract directly with the manufacturer. The firm has previously installed cameras in other states without permits, sometimes on behalf of undisclosed clients, and has been known to reinstall devices after local authorities removed them.