ST. PETE, Fla. — St. Pete police Chief Holloway issued a statement on Flock cameras after comments online circulated about police usage.
Chief Holloway said he wanted to provide clear and factual information about what Flock cameras, also known as automated license plate readers, do and how law enforcement uses them.
Police said Flock cameras are an investigative tool that helps law enforcement solve crimes, locate missing people, and recover stolen vehicles.
"The St. Petersburg Police Department does not use the cameras to monitor people's daily activities or track where people go without a legitimate law enforcement purpose," said Chief Holloway.
Chief Holloway said the cameras capture pictures of vehicles, not people. They capture information such as license plate number, issuing state, vehicle make, model, body type, and color.
They also said Flock only retains video for 30 days, and access is restricted to authorized personnel only.
County responds to community concerns, acknowledges work still needed
After an hour-long tour of the entire facility with county officials, Tampa Bay 28 reporter Haley Zarcone got answers to many of those questions—and found the county acknowledges some issues that still need to be addressed.
