Automated license plate readers, including Flock cameras, will stay in place along roads in unincorporated Pinellas County for now after commissioners voted Tuesday to table a debate over removing them until the Legislature weighs in.

The delay means the issue will wait until at least the 2027 legislative session, which begins in March. Commissioners are expected to discuss their legislative priorities at a meeting next month.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has maintained that the readers are a valuable crime-fighting tool. He told commissioners the county has just under 300 of the cameras. If the commission approved an ordinance restricting them on county roads, he said, he would simply move them to other parts of the county. Gualtieri said he is confident lawmakers will act and that he supports statewide rules. “We have to have consistent guardrails,” he said.

Commissioner David Eggers said inconsistent governance of the technology was a recurring complaint, and he suggested the county step back, let the state set policy, and revisit the matter later. Commissioner Vince Nowicki, who raised the issue, argued that local leaders should act rather than wait on Tallahassee, pointing out that everyone seems to agree something should be done, but no one wants to do it.

Some residents have raised concerns about the technology. Tarpon Springs resident Paul Merola said the cameras can serve a good purpose, but he noted that other sheriffs, agencies, and commissions have ended their programs, which tells him the tool is not a sure thing.

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