ORLANDO, Fla. – Over the past few weekends, a St. Petersburg man has spent hours sitting in front of Flock cameras, holding up a sign to block their view.
That man — identified as Car Gunn on his Instagram page, “theflockblocker” — said he began the protest after researching the cameras, arguing that they’re an invasion of privacy for law-abiding citizens.
“What they’re shooting is your license plate and whatever else they can do,” he said. “I don’t know yet.”
Gunn also noted that he wants more people to bring out a chair and block other cameras because the more people come out, the more officials will pay attention.
On Monday, News 6 reached out to the St. Petersburg Police Department, which confirmed that the actions are indeed legal.
[RELATED: Hundreds of license plate readers deployed in Central Florida]
Many municipalities across the state have already installed automatic license plate readers (LPRs) to help solve crimes, find missing people and identify trespassers.
The Mount Dora Police Department told News 6 it uses LPR technology to assist with criminal investigations, locate stolen vehicles, and support efforts to identify missing or endangered people.
Other Central Florida law enforcement agencies have previously cited similar reasons for purchasing LPRs.
[RELATED: Central Florida sheriff suspends Flock cameras after scandal involving detective]
However, advocates like Gunn argue that LPRs constitute an invasion of privacy.
Last month, Sumter County Sheriff Patrick Breeden announced that his office would be suspending Flock cameras after a detective was accused of using databases for illicit purposes.
LPRs manufactured by Flock Safety and other companies are usually visible to drivers, but law enforcement agencies are often reluctant to publicize the specific locations of where such devices are deployed.
[You can check out the DeFlock map below]