The Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Ocala Police Department will continue using license plate reader cameras on non-state roads while honoring a Florida Department of Transportation order to remove the controversial devices from state roads in their jurisdictions.
Here's what we know:
Will the Marion County Sheriff's Office continue using license plate readers?
Yes and no.
In a statement, the agency said: "Any camera on a state road will fall under FDOT’s memorandum and will be removed. As many agencies have repeated, these cameras have been extremely helpful in fighting crimes, finding lost children, and recovering stolen property. Many agencies, like us, will have conversations going forward and determine the best path forward."
The agency added: "Any cameras that do not fall under FDOT’s memorandum and are not on
state roads will remain. At this time, we are working within the 30-day time frame to adequately comply with the FDOT memorandum. With that being said, we do not yet have a total number of cameras that will remain in the county."
Will the Ocala Police Department continue using license plate readers?
Yes and no.
In a statement, the agency said: "The Ocala Police Department has utilized License Plate Reader (LPR) technology since 2018, and it has proven to be an invaluable tool in keeping our city safe. We’ve seen tremendous success in apprehending many violent felony offenders, and the evidence obtained from those quick apprehensions has proven instrumental in the successful prosecution of those cases."
It continued: "With that said, we are following the Florida Department of Transportation’s directive, and we will remove LPRs from all state roadways within the city of Ocala. This will affect 10 cameras across six locations, and staff has been given two weeks to complete the removal process."
The agency concluded: "We will continue to use License Plate Readers at other locations within the city and remain committed to working with our state legislators to find a path forward. These tools are essential to enhancing public safety, and we will strive to use them effectively where permitted."
Will the Belleview Police Department use license plate readers?
The agency does not have any LPRs, and has no plans to get them.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Marion sheriff, Ocala police keep using license plate readers, but not on state roads
