Pembroke Pines has turned off all 106 automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras within the city, a move that goes beyond a recent state order. This decision, made by Pembroke Pines Police Chief Jose Vargas on Wednesday, September 3, 2026, followed a request from Mayor Angelo Castillo and city commissioners.
The action means that all police department user accounts for these systems have been deactivated. Officers can no longer access data currently retained in the system, according to Patrol Division Capt. Jason Palant.
What prompted Pembroke Pines to turn off all cameras?
The city's decision comes after the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) ordered the removal of all license plate reading cameras from state roads. This directive, issued Monday, September 1, 2026, requires local police departments to remove affected cameras within 30 days. If not, the state will remove them.
For Pembroke Pines, this means 28 of its 106 cameras, which were located on state roads such as Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Road, Sheridan Street, University Drive, Flamingo Road, and U.S. Highway 27, will be removed. The remaining 78 cameras will stay in place but remain inactive.
The Sun Sentinel reported the Sun Sentinel reported that while the FDOT order applies to all ALPR cameras, Flock Safety cameras have faced increasing public scrutiny over privacy and data use. Governor Ron DeSantis previously expressed concerns that the cameras could turn Florida into “a surveillance state.”
What does this mean for drivers in Pembroke Pines?
For drivers in Pembroke Pines, the immediate change is that no ALPR cameras, regardless of brand or location within the city, are actively collecting vehicle data. This includes cameras from Flock Safety and Motorola Solutions.
However, the long-term status of these cameras and the city's contracts remains uncertain. City officials are currently evaluating:
- The status of contracts with ALPR providers.
- What will happen to the equipment removed from state roads.
- Any financial implications for taxpayers.
- How long the cameras will remain offline.
Mayor Castillo highlighted the need for the state to provide clear guidelines for ALPR technology, criticizing the lack of uniform rules after cities were encouraged to adopt these systems. The city commission has asked for a legal memo to clarify its obligations.
This situation is localized to Pembroke Pines. Other South Florida cities are taking different approaches; some police departments, like Coconut Creek and Coral Springs, state they are unaffected because their cameras are not on state roads. Others plan to remove only the cameras required by the FDOT order and continue using their remaining ALPR systems.
To see how ALPRs might affect you elsewhere, check our /map for reported camera locations.