Drivers across the Suncoast may notice fewer Flock license plate cameras watching state roads and highways this week. A Florida Department of Transportation order required law enforcement agencies to remove the automated license plate readers from state right-of-way by a deadline that has now passed. Longboat Key Police Chief Russ Mager confirmed his department complied, saying the cameras are out of the state right of way and the agency is now looking at FDOT-compliant locations to reinstall them.
The catch is that the order only covers state roads and highway rights-of-way. Cameras mounted on local government property, private developments, or other land outside FDOT’s jurisdiction were never required to come down. That means the camera map looks different street by street, with some removed, some staying, and others possibly relocating to compliant sites across Florida.
The change has also revived a bigger conversation about transparency. Sarasota County resident Cullen Andrew said residents feel the cameras were installed without enough public input, telling reporters that if the community as a whole says it doesn’t want something here, it probably shouldn’t be here. As agencies work out where their cameras land next, the question of who gets a voice in that decision is still wide open.
Where do you stand on license plate cameras in your neighborhood? Let us know in the comments.
