Coral Springs license plate readers spark privacy and trust concerns

Coral Springs has added Flock license plate readers on major roads leading into and out of the city.

The city’s surveillance buildout has been underway for years. Coral Springs police opened a Real Time Crime Center in January 2020, and a 2025 state appropriation of $500,000 was set aside to enhance it with upgraded software, including expanded use of city cameras and license plate readers. Coral Springs received 29 grants in fiscal year 2025 totaling $6,980,460, including 10 state grants worth $2,355,978.

Earlier plans pointed to a larger expansion. Coral Springs police planned to install 30 new license plate readers across the city, and another city proposal called for more readers and security equipment through a separate $230,001 grant. State Senator Tina Polsky and state Representative Christine Hunschofsky secured the $500,000 boost for the Real Time Crime Center, tying the readers to a broader public-safety technology push funded with public money.

The readers can help police recover stolen vehicles, identify suspects and solve crimes faster. The city has to spell out exactly who can search the system, how long data is kept and what limits exist if the technology is used beyond ordinary policing. Flock Safety says its default retention period for ALPR data is 30 days, and the company says search activity is logged for auditing. Access and sharing are controlled by the local customer agency.

Florida law adds another layer. State statute 316.0778 defines automated license plate recognition systems and requires a retention schedule with a maximum retention period. The Florida Department of Transportation says it must approve ALPR installations in the state highway right-of-way.

Coral Springs is not alone in using the technology. A majority of Broward municipalities now use license plate readers, including Coral Springs, Lauderhill, North Lauderdale and Margate, in a county with 28 incorporated cities.