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License-plate readers · Okaloosa County

Okaloosa County

Ended or removed · 2 agencies documented

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Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office

Status
Ended or removed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
79
79 Flock cameras countywide per the sheriff's office (Jan. 12, 2026); 28 on 26 county-maintained roads, the rest on state and city roads, per Get The Coast. The office said it chose not to buy mobile units for patrol vehicles (the 2022 announcement described 25 mobile cameras in patrol cars). The office said Aug. 31, 2026 that most of its cameras are on state rights-of-way and it would remove all, including those on county rights-of-way.
  1. Feb. 2022 Sheriff Eric Aden announced use of Flock cameras, including 25 mobile cameras in patrol cars. (Niceville.com, Feb. 18, 2022)
  2. Jan. 12, 2026 The office said it has deployed 79 Flock cameras countywide and participates in Flock's nationwide network; outside agencies need the OCSO administrator's permission and a valid investigative reason, and all queries are logged. Data is kept 30 days unless designated as evidence; user queries are kept indefinitely for audits. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Jan. 12, 2026; Get The Coast, Jan. 15, 2026)
  3. March 2, 2026 Launched a Flock transparency portal (transparency.flocksafety.com/okaloosa-county-fl-so) describing data retention and which authorized agencies may access data. The portal could not be loaded for this check. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, March 2, 2026; WKRG, March 3, 2026)
  4. Aug. 31, 2026 WJHG reported Okaloosa County would discontinue use of the cameras (no agency-specific detail). (WJHG, Aug. 31, 2026)
  5. Aug. 31, 2026 Sheriff Eric Aden announced the office would begin removing and suspending its license plate reader program, including devices on county rights-of-way, notify Flock and work through contract timelines for removal. Aden: "the FDOT Memorandum eliminates our ability to use them." He did not rule out future use. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Aug. 31, 2026; Get The Coast, Aug. 31, 2026)
  6. Sept. 1, 2026 All of the office's Flock cameras were turned off. The office said license plate reader use "has not been deemed unlawful or ruled unconstitutional" and that damaging cameras, active or deactivated, is a crime; one person was arrested over damage to a camera in Destin. (WJHG (WALA Digital Staff), Sept. 2, 2026)
  7. Oct. 2, 2026 The Crestview News Bulletin reported Okaloosa County had canceled its contract with Flock Safety and that cameras are being removed, according to the sheriff's office. (Crestview News Bulletin, Oct. 2, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • The office announced removal of all its cameras on Aug. 31, 2026; the Crestview News Bulletin reported Oct. 2, 2026 that the county's Flock contract was canceled and removal under way. Completion of removal not confirmed.

From agency records.

Crestview Police Department

Status
Ended or removed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
10
Chief Stephen McCosker said 10 of the 79 Flock cameras in Okaloosa County are within Crestview's jurisdiction (Jan. 2026). The Crestview News Bulletin reported Oct. 2, 2026 that the City of Crestview and Okaloosa County each canceled contracts with Flock Safety, indicating the city held its own contract; how many of the 10 cameras were city-contracted is not stated.
  1. Jan. 13, 2026 Chief Stephen McCosker said 10 Flock cameras are within Crestview's jurisdiction, out of 79 in the county. The same report named Pensacola, Niceville, Crestview and Fort Walton Beach police as Flock users. (NBC 15 (WPMI), Jan. 13, 2026)
  2. July 27, 2026 WEAR reported the department has used the Flock system since 2022 and that investigators used it to locate a suspect's vehicle in the Jacksonville area. McCosker: "They brought many cases to a quick close." (WEAR, July 27, 2026)
  3. Aug. 31, 2026 The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office announced it would remove all of its Flock cameras countywide, including those on county rights-of-way. No source found on whether this affected cameras in Crestview's jurisdiction. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Aug. 31, 2026; Get The Coast, Aug. 31, 2026)
  4. Oct. 2, 2026 The Crestview News Bulletin reported that the City of Crestview and Okaloosa County "have canceled their contracts with Flock Safety" and that cameras are being removed, according to the Crestview Police Department and the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. Contract amount, cancellation date and approving body not available (article paywalled after the opening paragraph). (Crestview News Bulletin, Oct. 2, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Status reflects the Crestview News Bulletin report of Oct. 2, 2026; only the opening paragraph could be read. Contract terms and whether the city council voted need a records request.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Statewide

  1. Aug. 31, 2026 The Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits and ordered all automated license-plate readers off state roads within 30 days. Gov. Ron DeSantis: "I don't want to have this become a surveillance state." (Axios Tampa Bay, Sept. 1, 2026; WUSF, Sept. 2, 2026)
  2. Sept. 30, 2026 The 30-day deadline for removing license-plate readers from state roads passed. (Florida Phoenix, Sept. 30, 2026)