Volusia Sheriff Shuts Down Flock Cameras Countywide After State Order

Volusia County's network of license plate reading cameras has gone dark. Sheriff Mike Chitwood ordered an immediate shutdown of the county's automated license plate readers, commonly known as Flock cameras, after the Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits for the devices in state road rights-of-way.

What triggered the shutdown

The Florida Department of Transportation sent a memo to law enforcement agencies on Monday, Aug. 31, notifying them that permits for license plate reader systems had been revoked and that the cameras must be removed from state rights-of-way within 30 days. The memo cited a rapid statewide expansion of the technology along with what it described as concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance issues, framing the move as necessary to preserve Floridians' privacy and quality of life.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has also publicly criticized the technology's rapid growth and has called for state legislation to establish clearer rules around its use.

Chitwood's response

In a Facebook statement, Chitwood said the decision to shut down the cameras was not one he took lightly, pointing to a long list of cases the technology has helped solve. He said LPR data has helped deputies catch violent offenders, including a home invasion suspect who shot two people in Deltona before fleeing to Detroit, and credited the cameras with helping locate missing and endangered people, including children, seniors and even stolen horses.

Chitwood also pointed to a more recent case, saying LPR technology helped local agencies track down a suspect who carjacked a vehicle in Ormond Beach and later crashed in New Smyrna Beach. Despite defending the technology's track record, Chitwood said the cameras are now effectively unusable under the current legal landscape and will remain shut down until state lawmakers create clearer guardrails.

Part of a bigger statewide fight

Volusia's shutdown is part of a broader backlash playing out across Florida over Flock Safety and similar automated license plate reader systems. Concerns have intensified following reports elsewhere in the state of officers allegedly misusing the technology, including one case involving a Florida deputy accused of using license plate data to illegally track a former partner.

Volusia County had built out a fairly extensive surveillance network in recent years, connecting license plate readers with traffic cameras, security cameras and other tools through the county's crime intelligence center as part of its broader public safety strategy.

What it means going forward

For now, deputies will be working without a tool they've credited with helping solve violent crimes and locate missing people, until state legislators pass clearer rules governing how license plate readers can be used and by whom. Local law enforcement agencies elsewhere in the county are expected to face the same 30-day removal deadline for any state-road-adjacent cameras.

The Volusia Voice will continue following the story as the Legislature considers new LPR legislation and as local agencies determine their next steps.