Deerfield-News. com-Deerfield Beach, FL-The use of cameras to issue speeding tickets has been done worldwide, especially in Germany. Recently, “Flock” became synonymous with Automatic License Plate Readers, even though it is a brand. Flock has become generic, like Band-Aid is for a wound-covering adhesive strip.
Yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the removal of all cameras from state roads in Florida. County Sheriffs and local municipalities, including Deerfield Beach, all have work to do in order to comply with the 30-day deadline.
The city of Deerfield Beach’s cameras on Hillsboro Boulevard in a school zone are/were a good thing.Saving the necessity of having actual deputies patrol the school zone as frequently, and the simple knowledge that the cameras slow speeders down.
The Institute for Justice has over 100 documented cases of law enforcement officers abusing Flock Safety and other ALPR’s.
Romantic and Personal Stalking -Dozens of officers have been caught using the camera network to track current or former romantic partners, ex-spouses, and acquaintances.
Wrongful Stops – An officer pursued a woman he was attracted to, tracked her via Flock, and made an illegal traffic stop in hopes of getting a date. Innocent drivers, including moms and children, have been pulled over or worse held at gunpoint as the ALPR system wrongly flagged their license plates.
So, while we have developed great technology that could help solve crimes, some bad cops have shown that too much information gathered by the government may not be a good thing, even when it can solve crimes that might never get solved without the information ALPRs provide.
