09/03/2026
Statement from Mayor Sortal regarding License Plate Readers:
Effective today, I am pausing the planned expansion of license plate readers (LPRs) throughout the City of Plantation while we review our policies and evaluate the State of Florida’s recent actions concerning these systems.
I believe the City has used LPR technology responsibly and effectively, with safeguards designed to protect both public safety and individual privacy. Nothing we have seen in Plantation to date has changed that view. Nevertheless, given the concerns being raised across Florida and nationally, I believe it is appropriate to pause the planned expansion and give our residents additional assurance that we continue to get this right.
The exception will be the existing LPR program within the Plantation Gateway District. Gateway property owners pay an additional assessment through a Safe Neighborhood District specifically to support enhanced public safety and improvements within the area. Those efforts include additional police overtime and an LPR system that has been operating for approximately 42 months.
Four cameras located on state roads within the Gateway will be removed in compliance with the State’s directive. The remaining 35 cameras located on other roads will continue operating.
The City’s current contract with Rekor has approximately 16 months remaining and terminating it early would cost approximately $58,000. Plantation does not use Flock LPRs, and Flock is not part of the City’s planned expansion.
The City Council recently approved the strategic installation of LPRs throughout the remainder of Plantation. Expanding the system has been a City goal for several years and has been identified through our annual strategic-planning process. We are pausing that expansion not because we have identified a problem with Plantation’s program, but because the recent concerns surrounding this technology warrant another careful review and an opportunity to reassure our residents about how our City uses it.
We have seen firsthand the legitimate law-enforcement value of this technology. Most notably, LPR information assisted Plantation Police in the investigation following the death of Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer after the individual sought in connection with her death traveled to Plantation. That case demonstrated how this technology can provide investigators with critical information when it is used appropriately.
Effective law enforcement and protection of civil liberties are not mutually exclusive.
The City of Plantation has already strengthened its controls governing data retention, access and information sharing. In doing so, we have reviewed recommendations from civil-liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, regarding appropriate safeguards for LPR technology.
Plantation Police maintains control over the City’s LPR data. We do not provide broad or nationwide access to our system. Our routine data-sharing relationships are deliberately limited to the Lauderhill Police Department, Fort Lauderdale Police Department and Broward Sheriff’s Office. Any other disclosure of LPR information must be for a legitimate law-enforcement purpose, authorized by law and consistent with City policy.
Our cameras are law-enforcement tools. They are not used to issue traffic citations. Access to the system is restricted to authorized law-enforcement purposes, and misuse is subject to discipline.
The Plantation Police Department is accredited internationally through CALEA and in Florida through CFA, subjecting the Department’s policies and practices to independent professional standards and review. But our responsibility goes beyond accreditation. Residents should be confident about who can access this information, how long it is retained, how it can be used and with whom it can be shared.
During this pause, our Police Department and City Administration will review these safeguards once again and determine whether there are additional measures that would further protect individual privacy without compromising the legitimate law-enforcement value of the system.
I will also ask the City Council to support enhanced penalties for the intentional misuse of LPR systems as part of Plantation’s 2027 Legislative Platform. The public should have confidence not only that rules exist, but that there are meaningful consequences when someone intentionally violates them.
I am proud of Plantation’s responsible use of LPR technology and of the work of our Police Department. LPRs can help us solve crimes, locate suspects and protect our community. At the same time, they should never become a tool for indiscriminate surveillance.
For now, the Gateway system will continue operating under our existing safeguards, we will comply with the State’s directive regarding cameras on state roads, and the planned expansion into the remainder of Plantation will remain on hold while we complete this review.
I believe that is the responsible balance between protecting public safety and protecting the privacy of our residents.
