NewsWUSF (NPR Tampa Bay)August 13, 2026Hillsborough
Tampa Bay resident protests Flock Safety license plate reader cameras
A Tampa Bay resident is physically blocking automated license plate reader (LPR) cameras to protest the continuous collection of vehicle data by law enforcement. The protest highlights growing public and legal debates regarding the use of interconnected surveillance networks and the potential for data misuse.
Read the full story at WUSF (NPR Tampa Bay)Why It Matters
Residents in areas using Flock Safety cameras are subject to constant tracking of their vehicle movements, which privacy advocates argue bypasses traditional requirements for and warrants.
Key Facts
- Flock Safety cameras record license plates, vehicle makes, models, colors, and timestamps of passing vehicles.
- Flock Safety claims its technology supported over 1 million criminal investigations in 2025.
- Flock Safety data is typically deleted after 30 days unless an agency sets a different retention period.
- Flock Safety recently announced it is requiring law enforcement customers to implement an audit tool to flag abnormal search behavior.
- Flock Safety is recommending a 7-day data retention period for law enforcement agencies.
- Privacy advocates argue that interconnected camera networks allow for the tracking of individuals without individualized suspicion or judicial warrants.
- A Haines City police officer was arrested for allegedly using Flock cameras 717 times to track his estranged wife.
- St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway stated that officers who misuse the system face disciplinary action or termination.
- Flock Safety maintains that more than 40 courts have ruled that LPR technology does not violate the Fourth Amendment.
Who's Mentioned
other10,000“Number of missing people Flock claims to have helped locate in 2025.”personMatthew Guariglia“Senior policy analyst with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.”other717“Number of times a Haines City officer allegedly accessed cameras to track his wi”organizationFlock Safety“Manufacturer of license plate reader cameras.”personCarl Gunn“A 77-year-old Tampa Bay resident protesting Flock cameras.”personJean-Luc Adrien“Tampa attorney with Brancato Law Firm.”personAnthony Holloway“St. Petersburg Police Chief.”