Documented Incident
Manatee County commissioners require board approval for new license plate readers on county property
Event: August 25, 2026 · First reported: August 31, 2026 · 1 source
On Aug. 25, 2026, the Manatee County Commission voted unanimously to require board approval before the Sheriff's Office or county administration can install automated license plate readers on county-owned facilities, parks or buildings. County Attorney Pamela D'Agostino advised that commissioners cannot order existing cameras removed or regulate devices on private property, municipal streets or Florida Department of Transportation rights-of-way. County-owned rights-of-way were left out of the action pending a staff review of permit codes, which may require an ordinance. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office operates 134 LPRs countywide, 79 of them Flock cameras.
The vote illustrates how narrow a county commission's authority over police surveillance technology can be, since restrictions may reach only government-owned property while cameras on private land, state rights-of-way and city streets remain outside local control.
Key facts
- Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 25, 2026; the item was added to the agenda by Commissioner Bob McCann after constituent complaints about privacy.
- MCSO uses 134 license plate readers, including 79 Flock cameras; Sheriff Rick Wells says data is deleted after 30 days and that the cameras do not use facial recognition.
- Commissioner Mike Rahn cited cases he said were solved with Flock cameras, while Commissioners Jason Bearden and Chair Tal Siddique voiced distrust of the technology and cross-jurisdiction tracking.
- McCann proposed requesting vendor disclosures on privacy safeguards, audit logs and data retention.
- The article notes Sarasota Police officer Cory Waiters was arrested Aug. 19 on allegations of misusing that department's LPR database; the case has not been adjudicated.
- Figures cited from HaveIBeenFlocked.com: 107 MCSO employees ran 106,571 searches between March 11, 2022 and July 31, 2026, including 702 searches in July.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Future of Flock cameras limited in Manatee County (Your Observer, August 31, 2026)
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About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated August 31, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.