Local Agencies Begin Complying With Order to Remove License Plate Readers From State Roads

Pensacola, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Escambia and Okaloosa County law enforcement agencies say they'll comply with a Florida Department of Transportation order requiring automated license plate readers to come off state highways and rights-of-way within 30 days. Pensacola Police PIO Mike Wood says the department is still working out exactly how many of its cameras sit on state road right-of-way.

"Now that we have 30 days to remove these cameras from state roadways, that's exactly what we're going to do," Wood told WEAR. He says cameras on local and county roads will keep running as long as they remain legal.

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons tells NewsRadio that his agency is facing a bigger hit than most — roughly a third of ECSO's Flock cameras sit on state roadways, and he says pulling them will meaningfully weaken a network that depends on being complete to work well. Simmons says the agency hasn't shut any cameras off yet since it still has the full 30 days but is actively deciding whether to keep running a smaller, less effective system or pause the program entirely while the legal and legislative picture sorts itself out.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden says his office will go further than the state order requires, removing cameras from county roads as well, even though FDOT's memo only covers state right-of-way. In a statement, Aden called the move disappointing from a public safety standpoint but said the agency will comply and revisit the technology later if clearer legal guidance emerges. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office says it's reviewing its own ALPR program, citing the technology's track record in solving homicides and locating missing children and vulnerable adults, while acknowledging it needs to weigh that value against community privacy concerns.

The FDOT memo, signed by Chief Operating Officer Will Watts, revokes all general use permits previously issued to local law enforcement for camera placement in state right-of-way, citing concerns about rapid growth in the technology, data privacy, and surveillance. Agencies that don't remove their own cameras within 30 days will have them removed by FDOT crews.

Governor Ron DeSantis said Monday he supports giving law enforcement tools to investigate crime but doesn't want Florida becoming what he called a digital surveillance state, and says he's pushing for legislation to set clearer rules around the technology. Critics of the cameras, including Pensacola-based advocate Jacob Rockwell, call the state's action a step in the right direction and argue county governments should go further and ban the cameras from county roads as well.