Jacksonville Beach is the only Beaches municipality still running Flock Safety license plate reader cameras after Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach shut theirs down.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office also ended its Flock program Aug. 31. All three pullbacks followed Gov. Ron DeSantis calling the surveillance technology "out of control" and the Florida Department of Transportation revoking permits for cameras mounted along state roads. FDOT Assistant Secretary Will Watts signed a memorandum Aug. 31 giving agencies 30 days to remove the devices or the state would do it for them.
The order covers only state highways. Cameras on city and county roads are not affected. But the three Beaches cities, which each run their own police departments independent of JSO, responded differently.
Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach suspend camera use
Neptune Beach Police Chief Michael J. Key Jr. said in a statement that his department would discontinue license plate reader use immediately, according to the Beach Gazette. Key cited the FDOT revocation and ongoing community discussions, calling the move "the appropriate action." He said the cameras had helped locate missing people, recover stolen property and solve crimes, but added that the department remains committed to protecting residents "through every other available means."
Atlantic Beach City Manager Kevin Hogencamp notified city commissioners the week of Aug. 31 that the city is suspending its Flock Safety technology and will no longer use automated plate readers across municipal operations. Hogencamp invited commissioners to raise questions or feedback.
Sheriff T.K. Waters ended JSO's Flock program the same day, calling the cameras "an enormously valuable investigative tool" even as he ordered them turned off. JSO had 141 fixed readers and nine mobile units across Duval County. The agency credited the technology with helping solve 15 murders, 17 kidnappings, six forcible sex offenses, nearly 100 shootings and 172 missing person cases since 2024, according to the Florida Times-Union.
Jacksonville Beach cites public safety plan for keeping cameras on
Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith is keeping the cameras running. The department's decision is rooted in its Public Safety Technology Enhancement Plan, finalized in August 2025 after a City Council strategic planning session.
That plan grew out of a mass shooting in the city's downtown entertainment district on St. Patrick's Day 2024. The incident galvanized city leadership, police union leaders and the community behind new investment in officer staffing, compensation and equipment.
In an after-action report, Smith described Jacksonville Beach as roughly nine square miles with about 24,000 residents, 80 alcohol-serving bars and restaurants, and near-weekly special events drawing an estimated 5.1 million to 8 million visitors a year.
Department officials say Flock cameras have helped solve more than 30 cases. In one, detectives used the system in April to track a vehicle linked to 24 retail thefts at the Jacksonville Beach Home Depot totaling more than $22,000 in stolen merchandise. Four people were arrested April 13, and two additional suspects were later identified. One has been arrested; the other has an outstanding warrant. The six defendants collectively face 97 criminal charges.
"Personal use of a law enforcement database is a firable offense," Smith said, describing the department's strict access policies. Officers may use the Flock system only for case-specific purposes, and the department conducts random audits.
Smith acknowledged the statewide pushback and said the city may adopt stricter policies governing the technology's use.
Misuse cases in Polk County drove statewide crackdown
DeSantis's criticism came after misuse cases surfaced across Florida. In Haines City, a Polk County municipality, police officer Christopher Goodson was arrested after investigators alleged he searched Flock data for his estranged wife's vehicle more than 700 times between September 2024 and June 2026, logging false justifications.
Flock Safety, the Atlanta-based company behind most of the cameras, announced it will shorten its default data retention from 30 days to seven and require searches to be tied to case codes by year's end. DeSantis has called for the Florida Legislature to address the issue in its next session, expected in early 2027.
No meeting date or council vote has been announced for Jacksonville Beach to formally review its Flock camera policies. Residents with information about crimes can contact the Jacksonville Beach Police Department at 904-270-1667.
