It’s possible that Flock dropped the ball on submitting permitting requests for either private or police use of the mysterious cameras. That has happened for years, as a 2024 Forbes investigation reported, and the Post has noted other more recent examples. Last December, Flock installed two cameras in Cambridge, Massachusetts, without telling anyone, after local officials had banned the technology. And just last month, officials in Millcreek, Utah, were baffled to find an unknown camera installed on city property that neither the city nor police requested.
About an hour from the most recent batch of sketchy cameras, officials in Palm Bay, Florida, suspended their camera system after finding that Flock continually installed cameras and then failed to request final inspections. In that case, city officials ended up approving Flock’s permits.
St. Lucie County commissioner Clasby told local media he thinks that “not knowing who” the cameras belong to is “another issue” beyond police misuse and data privacy that Flock must address.
Already battling backlash—particularly in Florida, the only state to ban cameras on state roads—Flock appears motivated to connect with the county before the 30-day notice period expires.
A Flock spokesperson told the Post that the company already reached out to officials to discuss the unpermitted cameras. That spokesperson seemed to downplay the controversy, saying that permitting requirements “vary by jurisdiction and are not necessary in every location.”
Ars reached Gill to confirm that St. Lucie County began talks with Flock this week. According to Gill, Flock is juggling many requests right now, since there are demands to remove cameras throughout the state. As Flock assesses the cases, Gill said that county “staff is still working on the best possible way to make sure the cameras are removed by the permittee before the deadline. Once the deadline has passed, staff will be working to safely remove the cameras and/or add coverings, so that they are unable to capture video.”