# Pembroke Pines suspends use of Flock cameras after mayor and state push back
*Canonical page:* https://truthscore.com/source/8712deb4
*Machine twins:* https://truthscore.com/source/8712deb4.md · JSON at https://truthscore.com/api/v1

Publisher: Pembroke Pines News · published 2026-09-02 · read 2026-09-08

Original: https://www.pembrokepinesflnews.com/news/government/article317100069.html?taid%3D6a98794b500d6700016bb0d7=

*A source is testimony, not proof. The document itself is never republished here.*

## Who is named (13)

- [Pembroke Pines](https://truthscore.com/entity/238905a2)
- [Angelo Castillo](https://truthscore.com/entity/2e54586b)
- [FDOT](https://truthscore.com/entity/3af5625a)
- [Flock Safety](https://truthscore.com/entity/57d2aca7)
- [Pembroke Pines Police Department](https://truthscore.com/entity/5e837d79)
- [Jose Vargas](https://truthscore.com/entity/635f39c1)
- [Pines Boulevard](https://truthscore.com/entity/7e399a33)
- [FDOT memorandum](https://truthscore.com/entity/9ee07ab6)
- [Flock cameras](https://truthscore.com/entity/a68d1735)
- [Flock Safety contract](https://truthscore.com/entity/b702b99f)
- [South Florida Sun Sentinel](https://truthscore.com/entity/d2f7d6b8)
- [Michael Hernandez](https://truthscore.com/entity/de44c231)
- [64 license plate reader units](https://truthscore.com/entity/f30ca595)

## What it added

- [Mayor Angelo Castillo called on the city administration, Police Chief Jose Vargas and the state to suspend the license plate reader technology.](https://truthscore.com/claim/82ab4020)
  > In a Sept. 1 post on NextDoor, Mayor Angelo Castillo called on the city administration, Police Chief Jose Vargas and the state to suspend the technology, citing mounting concerns from residents over lack of privacy.
- [Mayor Angelo Castillo said he called for suspension despite being assured that no abuses of the technology had happened within the city.](https://truthscore.com/claim/08952fc0)
  > The mayor said he did so despite being assured that no abuses of the technology had happened within the city.
- [Castillo wrote that the decision is made knowing that license plate readers have assisted police to capture many suspects, but the technology requires…](https://truthscore.com/claim/b973ea14)
  > “This decision is made knowing that while license plate readers have assisted police to capture many suspects wanted by the law, this technology requires safeguards that do not offend the personal rights of residents,” Castillo wrote.
- [Castillo wrote that, while assured that no abuses have occurred in the city, that is not enough to resolve the concerns voiced by residents.](https://truthscore.com/claim/1a522318)
  > “And while assured that no abuses have occurred in our city, that’s not enough to resolve the concerns voiced by our residents.”
- [The Pembroke Pines Police Department announced it would fully suspend its license plate reader programs effective immediately.](https://truthscore.com/claim/8b71498a)
  > The Pembroke Pines Police Department said Wednesday it would fully suspend its license plate reader programs, effective immediately, after taking into consideration the FDOT’s memo, the mayor’s call to action and consultation with city administration.
- [Castillo noted that it is unclear to the city what the removal would cost or who would pay for it.](https://truthscore.com/claim/b7f01a36)
  > It is unclear to the city at this point what the removal would cost or who would pay for it, Castillo noted.
- [The police department’s Instagram statement said the department recognizes the public safety value of the technology and has taken steps to increase…](https://truthscore.com/claim/8aadd090)
  > “We recognize the significant public safety value this technology can provide, and our Police Department has taken significant steps to increase transparency, enhance training, and establish additional accountability measures,” the police department’s statement on Instagram reads.
- [The police department’s decision follows an Aug. 31 memorandum from the FDOT revoking general‑use permits for automated license plate readers on state roads.](https://truthscore.com/claim/460123a4)
  > The police department’s decision follows an Aug. 31 memorandum from the FDOT revoking general-use permits for automated license plate readers on roads under state jurisdiction.
- [FDOT said it would no longer issue permits for future license plate reader systems and gave agencies 30 days to remove cameras covered by the permits they…](https://truthscore.com/claim/e4329bf2)
  > FDOT said it would no longer issue permits for future license plate reader systems and gave agencies 30 days to remove cameras covered by the permits they issued.
- [The FDOT memorandum read that cameras not removed within the deadline could be removed by the department.](https://truthscore.com/claim/da7ae031)
  > Cameras not removed within the deadline could be removed by the department, the memo read.
- [The city’s Flock Safety contract covers 64 documented license plate reader units at an initial two‑year cost of $342,400, including a $350 installation fee and…](https://truthscore.com/claim/7ef5a5bf)
  > The city’s Flock Safety contract covers 64 documented license plate reader units at a total initial two-year contract cost of $342,400, including a $350 installation fee and $2,500 annual usage fee per unit.
- [Vice Mayor Michael Hernandez said the city currently has 86 operational license plate reader cameras, with capacity to reach 100.](https://truthscore.com/claim/2e8ca51b)
  > However, Vice Mayor Michael Hernandez said Wednesday that, according to his conversations with the police chief, the city currently has 86 operational license plate reader cameras, with the capacity to reach 100.
- [Hernandez said he was not certain how many of the 86 cameras are operated by Flock Safety and how many may be operated by another vendor.](https://truthscore.com/claim/e5e00381)
  > Hernandez said he was not certain how many of the 86 cameras are operated by Flock Safety and how many may be operated by another vendor.
- [Hernandez said a significant number of cameras are located along Pines Boulevard, which is maintained by the state and will be subject to FDOT’s removal order.](https://truthscore.com/claim/1a9ebd74)
  > He said a significant number are located along Pines Boulevard, which is maintained by the state and will be subject to FDOT’s removal order.
- [Hernandez said he did not receive any briefing on how the removal process would work and would pose questions to the chief at the Sept. 3 commission meeting.](https://truthscore.com/claim/0c8bbd50)
  > “ I did not receive any briefing on how the process would work in terms of removing them throughout the city, or how quickly that would happen — those are questions that we would be posing to the chief tomorrow evening,” he said, referring to a Sept. 3 commission meeting.
- [Hernandez said he supports the department’s decision to suspend the program despite measurable public safety benefits from the cameras.](https://truthscore.com/claim/3c966915)
  > Hernandez said he supports the department’s decision to suspend the program, despite what he described as measurable public safety benefits from the cameras.
- [A wanted person in a Palm Beach County robbery drove through the city, the Flock camera flagged the vehicle’s license plate, and city police located the person.](https://truthscore.com/claim/614c9aa4)
  > Hernandez cited an incident involving a person who was wanted for questioning in a robbery in Palm Beach County who drove through the city.
  > The Flock camera flagged the vehicle’s license plate, notifying city police and ultimately helping to locate the person.
- [Pembroke Pines entered into a cooperative agreement for Flock Safety’s license plate reader technology in December 2022.](https://truthscore.com/claim/371773f8)
  > Pembroke Pines entered into a cooperative agreement for Flock Safety’s license plate reader technology in December 2022, using terms and pricing from a bid initially made by the city of Coral Springs.
- [The agreement provided for purchase and installation of fixed and mobile license plate readers and called for an initial two‑year term with options for two…](https://truthscore.com/claim/83b49942)
  > The agreement provided for the purchase and installation of fixed and mobile license plate readers.
  > It called for an initial two-year term, with the option for two more two-year renewals.
- [The PPPD did not respond to questions from the Pembroke Pines News about the current annual Flock subscription, cost‑reimbursement funding, safeguards, or…](https://truthscore.com/claim/8fff5e3b)
  > The PPPD did not respond to questions from the Pembroke Pines News about the city’s current annual Flock subscription, whether Florida Department of Law Enforcement cost-reimbursement funding was used for the program, what safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of the data or which department personnel have access to the information.
- [Pembroke Pines commissioners will discuss the Flock camera topic at the city’s next commission meeting on Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the commission chambers.](https://truthscore.com/claim/36dc59a8)
  > Pembroke Pines commissioners are meant to discuss the Flock camera topic at the city’s next commission meeting on Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the commission chambers.

## What it cost

Reading this document into the graph cost $0.01.