Action News Jax reported that St. Johns County commissioners voted 3-2 to remove automated license plate readers, including Flock cameras, from county rights-of-way. The vote targets readers on county rights-of-way only.
The decision followed public comment from residents who spoke both for and against the cameras. Privately operated readers, such as those used by homeowners associations, are outside the vote.
What did the St. Johns County commission vote on?
- Vote: 3-2 to remove license plate readers, including Flock cameras, from county rights-of-way
- Not covered: privately operated readers, such as HOA readers
- State context: several weeks before the county vote, the Florida Department of Transportation issued a memo ordering readers removed from state rights-of-way
- County authority: the county still controlled readers on county rights-of-way
Commissioner Christian Whitehurst introduced the motion before commissioners broke for lunch. He said he did not expect it to pass. Commissioner Sarah Arnold said she did not want to take away a tool that could help law enforcement, but said the technology appeared to have outpaced the safeguards.
Commissioner Krista Joseph called removal radical and said cell phones are more insidious than Flock cameras.
Who spoke for and against the cameras?
The family of Tristyn Bailey, a St. Johns County teenager killed by her classmate in 2021, spoke in support of the cameras. One of her parents said learning about license plate readers on the day she went missing offered hope that Bailey could be found if she was with someone.
Other speakers asked commissioners to remove the cameras. One said residents want all plate readers removed from all county rights-of-way.
Sheriff Robert A. Hardwick issued a statement saying the decision encroaches on his ability to keep the community safe. He said the office will keep working to bring the technology back to St. Johns County.
What changes for drivers in St. Johns County?
The vote targets readers on county rights-of-way. Action News Jax doesn't say how many readers that covers or which ones come down first.
What does not change under this vote:
- Readers run by neighboring cities or counties
- Readers on state rights-of-way, which the earlier state memo covers
- Readers operated by businesses or homeowners associations
Action News Jax doesn't say whether the state removals have been completed. Drivers who want to see where readers are mapped can check the camera map, and background on how these systems work is at how plate readers work. Published transparency records for agencies are listed at /agencies.
What happens next with the county cameras?
The report doesn't give a removal deadline or say who confirms that readers are down. It also doesn't describe how the sheriff plans to bring the technology back.
Residents with questions can ask the county commission at its next public meeting which readers sit on county rights-of-way, when removal starts, and who verifies it is complete.