Miami-Dade suspends its entire license plate reader program, one day after Gov. DeSantis' order
Miami-Dade County's license plate reader cameras are being taken offline, one day after Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the devices removed from state roads.
Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz announced Tuesday that the county's license plate reader program would be suspended in its entirety, along with the cameras on FDOT-controlled roads.
She said the cameras have helped apprehend murderers and robbers, saved children from abduction, and located missing people. But she added that the technology must come with appropriate safeguards protecting privacy.
DeSantis issued the directive Monday through the Florida Department of Transportation. A memo from FDOT chief operating officer Will Watts said the authority to use the cameras on state roads was being withdrawn, citing a rapid increase in deployments and "concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes."
"No one has given law enforcement more tools than we have, but they need to be targeted at criminals," DeSantis said 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."
Under the order, agencies that previously received permits must remove the cameras within 30 days. No new permits will be issued going forward.
The directive covers Flock Safety cameras, which capture license plate numbers and vehicle details and share that data with police departments. Critics have called the technology a violation of privacy. In Georgia, multiple deputies face charges for allegedly stalking people using Flock data.
"It's good security for missing people, missing kids, everything — but then again, people are utilizing it for the wrong thing, and we're also losing privacy," said driver Bryant Restrepo.
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said he plans to fight the state order. He said the cameras have helped police track down fleeing suspects, get guns off the streets, and arrest violent criminals.
A Fort Lauderdale police spokesperson said they have not made a decision to terminate their contract with Flock. The city has 88 cameras.
Former Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina said the technology provides real public safety value, particularly for amber alerts.
"This should not be a partisan issue. This should not be about politics. This should be about public safety," Colina said. "For the agencies that plan on doing away with license plate readers altogether, it's going to have a significant impact on their level of success and how they police."
Colina called the move a somewhat knee-jerk reaction.
"The Florida Police Chiefs Association, I can tell you that the Miami-Dade County Chiefs of Police Association are taking this very seriously and want to put out information that says please be mindful of all the good work that's being done," Colina said.
"There's been a lot of cases where you're not just identifying potential suspects but you're able to identify potential witnesses — so a terrible crime occurred, a child's been abducted or something happened at a park or at a school, and you're able to have a good idea of who might have been in the area that could help you," Colina said.
CBS News Miami reached out to the Broward Sheriff's Office to ask whether it would follow Miami-Dade's lead. No response had been received as of the time of publication.
You can read Sheriff Cordero-Stutz's full statement here:
"Public safety and constitutional rights are not competing values. In Miami-Dade County, we have shown that we can protect both.
Based on the Governor's directive and FDOT mandates, by the end of today, all cameras located on FDOT infrastructure will be taken offline, and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office license plate reader (LPR) program will be suspended in its entirety.
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.
To be clear, this technology has helped apprehend murderers and robbers, and saved children from being abducted and found missing people.
Miami-Dade has benefited from embracing innovation while ensuring that the use of these tools remains focused on legitimate law enforcement purposes.
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."