Florida county discovers mysterious Flock cameras with no obvious owner
Officials found 14 unpermitted devices among 66 Flock cameras and posted 30-day removal notices as privacy concerns grow.
- St. Lucie County officials discovered 14 unauthorized Flock Safety license-plate readers beyond 52 previously approved devices, prompting questions about who installed them and whether they collected motorists' data.
- A September arrest of former Fort Pierce police officer Josepher Crutchfield, who allegedly accessed Flock's database 382 times to track his ex-girlfriend's vehicle while off duty, intensified concerns about surveillance oversight and data access.
- St. Lucie County requires permits through its Planning and Development department, yet a 2024 Forbes investigation found Flock cameras installed without permits in multiple states including Florida; similar incidents occurred in Massachusetts and Utah.
- The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office claimed three of the mystery cameras, leaving 11 without a publicly identified owner; county spokesperson Erick Gill confirmed 30-day removal notices were posted with deadlines between October 16 and 20.
- Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel told The Post the company had contacted St. Lucie County and is willing to assist, though resident Ty Grant, living near a camera on 25th Street, said learning officials did not know who installed it made him feel "very unsafe.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Florida County Stumbles on Mystery Flock Cameras as Privacy Backlash Grows
St. Lucie County, Florida, expected 52 Flock cameras but discovered 14 unpermitted units during removal. Eleven remain unclaimed by any agency, sparking alarm over unknown data access and ownership. Officials issued removal notices while residents expressed unease about unseen surveillance. The case highlights growing national scrutiny of the technology amid reported misuse.
A Florida county discovered 14 Flock cameras nobody authorized, and 11 remain unclaimed
The latest case of unclaimed Flock cameras occurred in St. Lucie County, Florida. When officials began taking down the cameras after canceling the county's contract with the company, they discovered 14 extra cameras that the police say were not theirs.Read Entire Article
Authorities in St. Lucie County, Florida, have discovered 14 automatic license plate recognition cameras that they didn’t know were on the streets. Three of the devices have been identified by the sheriff’s office as theirs, but the other 11 have no publicly identified owner. It’s also unclear who has access to the data they collect. The Flock cameras capture passing cars, their license plates, and the time and location of each detection. The co…
The Epoch Times
The Constitution StudyFlorida County Finds Mysterious Flock Cameras Installed Without Permits or Approval
Officials are still trying to determine who’s responsible for having them installed on local roads without permits, a county spokesperson said.
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