TAYLOR COUNTY, FL (WTXL) — A packed crowd attended Monday night's Taylor County Commission meeting to ask questions about Flock license plate reader cameras in their neighborhood.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
The discussion comes after the City of Perry voted to remove the cameras from within city limits. Now, residents want to know more about the cameras operating in the county.
"I think the people of this county are entitled to a list of every Flock camera in this county, who owns it? If it's FDLE, great. They should be able to access the list and see where they are, who has access to them, who operates them. I think that's a reasonable ask," Taylor County neighbor Trey Blue said.
Taylor County Undersheriff Marty Tompkins told commissioners the county does not own any Flock cameras and does not have a contract with any company.
Tompkins says the cameras are owned by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the sheriff's office has access to the system for criminal investigations.
Tompkins says the cameras can help law enforcement locate missing children, identify suspects, and investigate crimes, and he claims deputies must have a valid law enforcement reason to search the system and must document the request with a case number.
"And I'll just be blunt, if we found an officer misusing the system, they would be terminated," Tompkins said.
Residents also questioned how the cameras are funded and whether taxpayer dollars are being used to support the system. Commissioners said the county has not spent money on Flock cameras and does not plan to do so.
Before ending the discussion, commissioners said they would work with the county attorney to get more information for the community through a public records request (Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes), including how many are in Taylor County.
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