Franklin County

Franklin County Sheriff's Office

Status

Ended or removed

Vendors

Flock Safety

Cameras

26
Sheriff's estimate ("about 26"), leased from Flock; most on state roads, others on county right-of-way funded by an FDLE grant Conflict: the Port St. Joe Star (Sept. 7, 2026) reported 17 LPRs.

Contract

Flock Safety: · to Dec. 2028 (WCTV, Sept. 1, 2026)

Contract

Flock Safety: $43,500 annual lease cost, fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2026, partly offset by a state grant (The Port St. Joe Star, Sept. 7, 2026)

1. Aug. 31, 2026 Sheriff AJ "Tony" Smith said the office turned off its access to all Flock cameras, including county right-of-way cameras funded through an FDLE grant, and asked FDLE whether it still has access. (WJHG, Aug. 31, 2026; WFSU Public Media, Sept. 1, 2026)
2. Sept. 1, 2026 After finding the cameras were still reading plates, deputies "put pink bags on them and unplugged them." The office said it is ending its license plate reader program. Flock said in an email it would not make "premature changes" to the contract, which runs through December 2028. (WCTV, Sept. 1, 2026)
3. Sept. 7, 2026 The Port St. Joe Star reported Sheriff A.J. Smith would end use of all 17 LPRs, including those on non-state highways ("I'm not going to do that," on keeping county-road cameras); annual Flock lease cost this fiscal year is $43,500, partly offset by a state grant; images are kept seven days. (The Port St. Joe Star, Sept. 7, 2026)
4. Sept. 22, 2026 Sheriff AJ "Tony" Smith said his agency turned off, unplugged and bagged the cameras so it cannot access the system. WUSF reported the cameras still collect data for Flock because the contract states Flock owns them and only Flock personnel can remove them. (Jacksonville Today / WUSF, Sept. 22, 2026)

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.