Pasco County sheriff issues warning as license plate reader cameras program to end: 'disappointing'

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. - Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said he is ending an agreement that allows license plate detection systems along county rights-of-way, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis separately calls for tighter restrictions on the rapidly expanding technology.

When will the agreement end?

What's New:

Sheriff Nocco said in a letter to Pasco County's Board of Commissioners that its interlocal agreement regarding license plate reader cameras would end on September 30, 2026. The original agreement was signed in December 2024.

"It is clear to me from the discussion at the last two meetings that I have listened to of the Board of County Commissioners on August 11th and August 25th that a majority of the Board of County Commissioners no longer support this agreement which you passed unanimously on December 10, 2024. I do wish to thank the Commissioners who have stood with law enforcement and public safety, however," Sheriff Nocco said.

Sheriff: Removing license plate readers will hinder solving crimes, make it harder to find missing persons

Why it Matters:

Sheriff Nocco warned in his letter to commissioners that not having these cameras would make it harder for sheriff's deputies to solve crimes, or to help locate missing or endangered adults, kids, or human trafficking victims.

"Please know that the majority of the Board of County Commissioner’s lack of support for this agreement will impact the solvability of crimes and our ability to locate missing and endangered children and adults, including the victims of human trafficking. This will also cause a strain on the Sheriff’s Office already limited resources," Sheriff Nocco wrote.

"I also want to be clear that Commissioners may continue to receive complaints or see online discussions about license plate readers in the County. As you heard during the Sheriff’s Office presentation at the meeting on August 11th, there are currently more license plate readers put in place by private entities than there are placed by the Sheriff’s Office, and the termination of the County’s agreement due to the Board’s lack of support will not impact readers installed by private property owners on private property they own such as CDDs, HOAs, retail  establishments, or other private entities or cameras placed in State-owned right-of-ways which are governed by the Florida Department of Transportation."

Gov. DeSantis: License plate readers are ‘out of control’

What they're saying:

At the same time, DeSantis is questioning how widely license plate readers are being used.

"I think these cameras, the license plate readers, I think it’s out of control," DeSantis said. He said he supports giving police tools to catch criminals but does not want Florida to become a "surveillance state."

"Go after criminals, great," DeSantis said. "But surveilling just regular Floridians’ movements and how that data is used — that’s a bird of a different feather."

By the numbers:

Sheriff Nocco said Florida law allows license plate data to be retained for up to two years. However, in Pasco County, data retention is restricted to 30 days.

He said searches are also limited to felonies and select misdemeanors and must be tied to a call for service or case number, with deputies required to document why they accessed the system.

"To be clear, these policies and procedures were incredibly robust and went far beyond what was required by state law and what surrounding jurisdictions have in place. I support, and all deputies take an oath to uphold and defend, the Constitution, something that we take so seriously that we are willing to risk our lives. Because of that staunch support of our Constitution, I remain proud of our agency’s policy which was carefully drafted to strike a balance between law enforcement needs and privacy concerns. I would also like to note none of the concerns brought forward at these meetings have occurred in Pasco County, showing that our policies worked to protect our community’s privacy, and it is disappointing that a majority of the Board of County Commissioners does not trust the Sheriff’s Office or our deputies," he wrote.

DeSantis: Florida Legislature will likely need to tackle license plate reader oversight

What's next:

DeSantis said the issue will likely require action by the Florida Legislature and that he is reviewing restrictions adopted in New Hampshire as a possible model.

"I think people are right to be concerned. I wanted an AI Bill of Rights that could have addressed this and others, other issues. The Senate passed a product and the House in Florida, they wouldn't even do anything about it," he said. 

"I think it's going to get a lot worse unless we have some protections for the people in Florida. And so. It's going to need to be, but the only way it could be dealt with is legislatively."