Manatee County bans Flock cameras at county-operated parks, facilities
Vote against Flock cameras at county buildings
Manatee County commissioners voted 5-0 to prevent Flock license plate reading cameras from going up at county parks, facilities and buildings. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon reports.
BRADENTON, Fla - Manatee County commissioners voted 5-0 to prevent Flock license plate reading cameras from going up at county parks, facilities and buildings.
Manatee County camera vote
What we know:
Manatee County commissioners voted 5-0 to prevent Flock cameras from being installed at county parks, facilities and buildings following privacy concerns from residents.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has 79 Flock cameras and 134 license plate readers from other manufacturers throughout the county, but none are in county parks or buildings. The sheriff's office stated it never had plans to put cameras in those areas.
Police officers in Haines City and Sarasota were previously arrested after using Flock cameras to track people outside official cases.
Police surveillance camera rules
The backstory:
Former FBI Special Agent and practicing attorney Stuart Kaplan said commissioners made the right move to address potential video surveillance abuse.
Kaplan noted that technology running constantly creates opportunities for abuse by people with access or for unauthorized purposes.
"In this type of situation where this technology is basically dormant, meaning it's just collecting information 24 hours 7 days a week, it has the ability to be abused, and certainly I think the abuse can either come within the people who have access to this information, or it can be utilized for it's not intended purpose," Kaplan said.
Crime prevention statistics
By the numbers:
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said they audit its camera system every two weeks and deletes collected data after 30 days.
Deputies used license plate readers over the past five years to identify 37 homicide suspects and locate 23 missing or endangered people.
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells released the following statement:
"The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office does not currently have license plate reader cameras installed at county parks, facilities, or buildings, nor do we have plans to do so. Any video surveillance currently in place at county parks is owned and operated by Manatee County Government and not the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
My office remains committed to protecting the residents and visitors of Manatee County. LPR technology is a tool that has helped our deputies and investigators identify suspects, recover stolen vehicles, and locate missing or endangered people.
We will continue to use the tools and resources available to us to effectively investigate crime, respond to calls for service, and keep our community safe."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13 reporter Kimberly Kuizon, who spoke with former FBI Special Agent Stuart Kaplan and gathered information from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.