What We Know So Far About Flock/ALPRs in Polk County, FL
**Note: This page is a work in progress as we receive additional documents and add new research. If you can help contribute to documents or research for your city/town in Polk County, please email us at deflockpolkfl@proton.me so we can see about adding it to this page! As of 7/20/2026, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV), Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC...allegedly operates 35 Flock Safety ALPRs) and other statewide agencies, are not listed until we can verify the information. However, its worthy to note that these agencies are also being caught using ALPRs to monitor people that have not committed crimes.
Timeline for Polk County Sheriff's Office
February 16, 2021 ⤵
→ The Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) first signed a FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT with Flock Group Inc., known as Flock Safety, with an option to extend for one year, according to records obtained by The Lakeland Ledger. Per The Ledger, PCSO repeatedly redacted the number of cameras it has purchased and the data retention period public information records requests, citing Florida's Sunshine Laws and exemptions. However, page 5 of the contract reads Flock "will automatically delete footage older than 30 days. Agency has a 90-day window to view, save and/or transmit footage to relevant government agency prior to its deletion." The contract agreement allows the county to extend the offer to its contracted local municipal law enforcement agencies. Documents from PCSO indicate they pay $2,000 per camera per year, or current market pricing if lower, in addition to the one-time implementation fee.
September 2022 ⤵
→ A government agency customer agreement is signed between Flock and Polk County. $82,000 was paid and covers the costs of 41 Flock Safety ALPR Cameras. An additional $14,350 was paid toward implementation fees. $82,000 will be paid on an annual recurring basis in this additional services agreement.
December 2022 ⤵
→ $10,000 was paid, covering the costs for an additional five cameras. $1,750 was paid for an implementation fee. $10,000 will be paid on an annual recurring basis in this 42-month contract.
January 2023 ⤵
→ $4,000 was paid and covers the costs of two Flock Safety Cameras. $700 was paid for an implementation fee. $4,000 will be paid on an annual recurring basis in this 43-month contract.
June 2023 ⤵
→ $50,000 is paid for annual recurring fees, with an additional $58,750 was paid as the year-one fee for 25 Flock Safety Cameras. A $75,000 discount was applied to this order, totaling $158,750. Cameras were purchased under a three-year contract, with a two-year renewal.
In all, there appears to be at LEAST 73 Flock cameras installed across Polk County. (Source) However, without transparency from public agencies, the true number remains unknown.
Lakeland Police Department
September 2023 ⤵
→ The City of Lakeland's Police Department (LPD) enters a contract with Flock, Safety for 19 cameras costing $57,000 a year, or $285,000 over the five-year contract. Cameras will be funded by the city's red-light camera program.
June 2025 ⤵
→ City of Lakeland Commissioners vote to add eight more ALPR cameras. Total Flock ALPRs is now 27 for the City of Lakeland PD. The City of Lakeland PD also has 165 Axon in-car video systems with license plate reader technology. (Source)
April 2026 ⤵
→ LPD show City of Lakeland Commission a presentation explaining how an “AI Enabled” LPD could integrate artificial intelligence, virtual reality and drones if the City approves a 10-year contract costing $21 million. (Source)
June 9, 2026 ⤵
→ LPD receives $3,972,962.18 to procure approximately 277 body-worn camera systems, 165 Fleet 3 in-car video systems and associated peripherals for two (2)-years using State Board of Immigration Enforcement Funds. LPD also receives $439,000 for a 2-year agreement with Peregrine (peregrine.io), an AI system that supports centralized data sharing with county, state, and federal agencies. Narratives from other counties list Peregrine as capable of integrating with all of the following systems onto one platform, allowing "designated police personnel" to access: CAD/RMS (emergency responder dispatch software), BWC–Axon/evidence.com, Vigilant, ALPR - Flock, Milestone–CCTV, JMS – Tyler Tech, Offender Watch, Cellebrite, ERP – Tyler Tech, Smart Communications, Excel, FACES, ArcGIS, TraCS and Peregrine AI Pro. (Source pgs. 36-38)
REMINDER ⤵
Video footage and data gathered by Flock Safety's cameras are uploaded onto the company's own software database and by default and stored for 30 days, before "deleting it." This central database is searchable by "authorized end users," such as local police, sheriff's, businesses, and home owner's associations. Police and sheriffs can also set up a "hot list" and receive alerts when a certain vehicle passes a camera.
ALPRs are a serious risk to your privacy and civil liberties. These systems continuously record your movements without a warrant, probable cause, or even reasonable suspicion. Your driving history is rarely confined to the town or city where the cameras are installed. It's typically shared with thousands of other agencies nationwide (secretly). Once the data is out of your community, you have no control over how it's used or what rules apply, leading to instances of misuse.