In split vote, St. Johns County commissioners revoke permits for all license plate readers on county roads

St. Johns County commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to revoke the permits for all Flock Safety automatic license plate reader cameras on county roads.The cameras have been a topic of ongoing debate statewide, and St. Johns County was one of the last districts in Northeast Florida to comply with an order from the FDOT to remove Flock cameras on state roads.Until now, the cameras have remained on county roads, and St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick has been a vocal advocate for the benefits for law enforcement.The Sheriff’s Office made a point of sharing recently that LPR technology helped track down an armed bank robbery suspect.Hardwick has also cited 2026 department figures that include 29 stolen vehicles recovered, 23 stolen license tags recovered, 35 wanted people arrested, 62 people charged, 132 felony charges and 54 misdemeanor charges cleared, and 35 missing people recovered.Hardwick has said license plate reader data is one investigative lead among many. At a September budget