ORLANDO, Fla. — Osceola County Sheriff Chis Blackmon joined “Orlando’s Morning News with Scott Anez” on Tuesday morning after the state DOT announced changes to the program around Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs).
▶ LISTEN TO ORLANDO’S MORNING NEWS EXPRESS PODCAST ON WDBO
The memorandum sent out by FDOT on Monday revoked the permits issued to local law enforcement needed to operate the cameras around state managed roadways and discontinues the issuance of any new permits. The cameras will be removed over the next 30 days.
READ: FDOT orders Flock cameras removed from state rights-of-way, halts new permits
During his conversation with Scott Anez, Sheriff Blackmon made it clear that he supports the viewpoint and decision by Governor Ron DeSantis, but added, “There are good sides to these, and I don’t believe this is widespread, I believe this is way overblow as in the abuse...”
He went on to say that it is the departments responsibility to “police the police” when it comes the general enforcement of misuses of police databases, not just in reference to the ALPRs data.
ALPRs are the broad term used to identify these devices, often called out by the brand name Flock. Flock had recently made adjustments to their data keeping practices after a series of misueses of their data.
READ: Flock updates safeguards after reports of improper use of cameras
Sheriff Blackmon confirmed in that interview that Osceola County will comply with the memorandum and will also deactivate the use of the cameras until, as the sheriff put it, “clear statutory guardrails” are put in place.
You can hear the conversation with Sheriff Blackmon below:
Click here to download our free news, weather and traffic app. And click here to subscribe to our daily 3 Big Things newsletter.