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Residents tell Suwannee County commissioners Flock camera deployment amounts to mass surveillance
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Suwannee County Board on June 2 to remove or pause a Flock Safety camera system and to scrutinize data‑center and surveillance impacts, citing privacy, constitutional and electricity‑supply concerns during a lengthy public‑comment block.
During public comment at the June 2 Suwannee County commission meeting, several residents urged the board to reconsider a recent deployment of roadside cameras described in testimony as the Flock Safety system.
"This is a mass surveillance operation going on in this county," said a commenter who identified himself as a former law‑enforcement officer and who described the cameras as collecting license‑plate and other biometric data. He told the board he had observed multiple cameras on county roads and warned of private‑company ownership, data aggregation and the potential for automated enforcement.
Speakers also raised broader concerns about data centers and electricity supply. Susan Cordderero cited reports that data‑center development can reroute utilities and raise local electric costs; other commenters referenced litigation elsewhere involving camera use and constitutional questions about public‑space surveillance.
Residents urged the county to require oversight, transparency, or remove cameras installed without adequate public notice. Commenters expressed distrust of private vendors and flagged potential uses of camera data for automated law‑enforcement actions. The board acknowledged the concerns and heard legal context from a resident with a legal background but took no immediate action to remove cameras during the meeting.
The testimony underscored privacy and transparency concerns that county officials said they would track; multiple speakers asked the board to provide clearer notice and review processes for surveillance technology and to evaluate contracts and data‑access practices.
