Manatee County commissioners voted Wednesday unanimously to prohibit Flock license plate-reading cameras from being installed at county-operated parks, facilities and buildings, citing concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of surveillance technology.

The 5-0 vote comes as automated license plate readers face increasing scrutiny across the Tampa Bay region and elsewhere in Florida.

The decision does not eliminate license plate reader technology from Manatee County. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office currently operates 79 Flock cameras and 134 license plate readers made by other manufacturers throughout the county. None of the Sheriff’s Office cameras are located at county parks or buildings, and Sheriff Rick Wells said his agency had no plans to install them in those locations.

The distinction matters because the commission’s action largely restricts where the technology can be used rather than banning license plate readers throughout the county.

Sheriff’s officials say the technology has produced tangible results in criminal investigations. Over the past five years, deputies used license plate readers to help identify 37 homicide suspects and locate 23 missing or endangered people. The Sheriff’s Office also says its camera system is audited every two weeks and that collected data is deleted after 30 days.

Supporters of the technology argue that those capabilities give law enforcement another tool for locating suspects, recovering stolen vehicles and finding vulnerable people. Sheriff Wells said his office remains committed to using available resources to investigate crimes and respond to calls for service.

But commissioners and residents also raised concerns about what happens when powerful surveillance technology is placed in the hands of government employees.

Former FBI Special Agent and attorney Stuart Kaplan told FOX 13 that technology collecting information around the clock can create opportunities for misuse, particularly when people with access use it for purposes beyond its intended function.

Those concerns have gained greater attention following recent cases involving alleged misuse of Flock databases. A Haines City police officer was arrested after allegedly using the system to track his estranged wife’s vehicle, while a former Sarasota officer was also arrested in connection with alleged misuse of Flock cameras.

The cases do not establish that Flock cameras themselves are inherently abusive, nor do they suggest that Manatee County deputies have improperly used the system. They do, however, illustrate the broader question facing communities that deploy technology capable of recording the movements of vehicles over time.

For Manatee County, commissioners opted for a narrower approach: preserve the Sheriff’s Office’s existing law-enforcement tools while keeping county-owned parks, buildings and facilities outside the Flock network.

The vote reflects a growing debate over how far government surveillance should extend in the name of public safety. License plate readers can help law enforcement solve serious crimes, but their ability to collect information on ordinary drivers also creates legitimate questions about oversight, access and data retention.

Manatee County’s decision suggests that protecting public safety does not necessarily require giving government unlimited access to surveillance technology.

For now, Flock cameras will remain in use elsewhere across the county, but county-operated parks and facilities will remain off limits.

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