Law enforcement leaders across Southwest Florida responded with a mix of frustration and acceptance after the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the removal of Flock surveillance cameras from state roads earlier this week. The removal of hundreds of cameras installed throughout the region has sparked debate among local police and sheriffs.
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell didn’t hide his anger. “I am very disappointed. Today the criminals are jumping up and down for joy,” he wrote in an email. “Again, politicians are having knee-jerk reactions to something that really isn’t a problem. They’re ignoring the true benefit of this technology and how we’re using it.”
Prummell argued that, as with any system, if someone abuses it, accountability should be imposed, just like with every other part of the criminal justice system. But to him, removing these cameras is cutting off a valuable tool. “You just seriously crippled law enforcement by limiting the use of a great crime-fighting tool. Criminals use technology to break the law—we need it to catch them. These cameras have contributed to all-time low crime rates and high clearance rates.”
On the other hand, Cape Coral Police Department Chief Anthony Sizemore responded differently. He announced his department would stop using the license plate-reading technology. Sizemore explained his decision on the department’s website. “For over a decade, we’ve used automated license plate readers responsibly as just one tool of many. They’ve helped solve countless crimes, from homicides to stolen cars, and helped us find missing people. It’s a tool—nothing more and nothing less,” he wrote. Sizemore stressed good police work still matters most, but said this technology makes that work more effective.
He also recognized the public’s concerns about privacy, data use, and accountability. He said his department spent years making sure it used this technology responsibly and in line with people’s constitutional rights. “But the environment in Florida has changed,” Sizemore wrote.
He pointed out that the governor supports law enforcement and the mission but wants the Legislature to set clear statewide rules and safeguards for license plate readers. With the Department of Transportation taking action without those laws in place, Sizemore said, “I don’t believe local law enforcement should be left to navigate that uncertainty on its own. For that reason, I have made the decision to discontinue the use of ALPR technology by the Cape Coral Police Department.”
Sizemore emphasized he doesn’t think the cameras are inherently bad or abused in his department. “And we’re not abandoning a tool that works. But I believe it’s time for elected officials in Tallahassee to establish a clear legal framework for the responsible use of this technology. Give law enforcement the guardrails. Establish the standards.”
