Miami-Dade’s license plate reader cameras are being taken offline following a directive from the Florida Department of Transportation, the county’s sheriff said Tuesday.
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By the end of Tuesday, all cameras on FDOT infrastructure will be taken offline and the sheriff’s office license plate reader program is being suspended, Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said in a statement.
“At the same time, we will continue advocating for the resources and tools our deputies need to protect the people of Miami-Dade County. Technology has long played an important role in our public safety strategy, helping law enforcement prevent crime, identify offenders, strengthen investigations, and keep our communities safe,” her statement read. “To be clear, this technology has helped apprehend murderers and robbers, and saved children from being abducted and found missing people.”
A memo from FDOT to local law enforcement agencies on Monday said the authority to use the cameras on state roads was being withdrawn due to concerns over privacy.
“While Florida law limits the issuance of permits for LPR systems to law enforcement agencies, the recent exponential increase in deployments along our roadways, coupled with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes merit immediate action to preserve Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life,” the memo from FDOT chief operating officer Will Watts states.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had recently soured on the cameras.
“No one has given law enforcement more tools than we have, but they need to be targeted at criminals,” DeSantis told reporters at an event in Jacksonville on Monday. “If they can create a dossier on your movements they would be able to make a fortune in selling that to companies for advertising and product placement.”
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DeSantis also raised the specter of the COVID-19 pandemic-era lockdowns as another reason to block the cameras from creating a “surveillance state.”
“I don’t think it’s their intent to do general surveillance, but I will tell you, if we had all this around the country when covid happened you absolutely would have saw those turned on people who were outside of lockdown orders in California,” DeSantis said.
He added that while local sheriffs likely have used the technology effectively, the potential for abuse is too great.
According to the memo, local law enforcement agencies that previously received a permit to use the cameras to take them down within 30 days. The memo also states there aren’t going to be any more permits given going forward.
“Miami-Dade has benefited from embracing innovation while ensuring that the use of these tools remains focused on legitimate law enforcement purposes,” Cordero-Stutz’s statement read. “We also recognize that technology must come with appropriate safeguards through clear policies, strong oversight, transparency, accountability, and appropriate auditing, protecting the constitutional rights and privacy of the people we serve.”
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