Clay County committed $1.76 million to six Flock Safety surveillance camera contracts since 2023, with three signed by the Sheriff's Office without a commission vote.
An estimated $1.56 million has already been paid, according to an investigative report by Clay News & Views published Sept. 8. The report provides the first contract-by-contract accounting of what the county purchased, who authorized it and what it would take to walk away.
Sheriff's Office Signed Largest Camera Deal
The largest deal is a five-year agreement for 95 roadway cameras worth roughly $1.37 million. Designated C23-0007, it accounts for about 78% of all committed Flock spending and was signed by the Clay County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), not the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
Contract Offers Few Ways Out Early
The contract offers only three exit paths: non-renewal after the 60-month initial term, which is not available until 2028 at the earliest; termination for material breach after a 30-day cure period; or non-appropriation of funds. That last route requires an actual budget gap. A policy decision alone would not qualify.
Retention Terms Conflict With Public Statements
The agreement also includes a $142,500 add-on for data retention of up to one full year, conflicting with the 30-day retention period referenced in Flock's own paperwork and in CCSO's public messaging, the report found. A $25,000 "Advanced Search" AI tool is bundled in as well.
Removal Announcement Doesn't Cover County Roads
Those 95 cameras are the same devices CCSO said it would pull down after the Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits for license plate readers on state roads. The office said on X on Aug. 31, "all License Plate Readers will be removed from Clay County roadways." But the FDOT order covers only state highway right-of-way, not county roads, city streets or private property.
Other Contracts Cover Parks and Mobile Units
The five remaining contracts cover cameras at Moody Avenue Park, Ronnie Van Zant Park and the Regional Sports Complex; pan-tilt-zoom units at a county gun range; six additional cameras with an AI-powered search tool at unspecified locations; mobile trailer units that can be deployed anywhere in the county; and a Wing Gateway/FlockOS Elite system capable of integrating up to 1,500 third-party camera feeds.
County Manager Howard Wanamaker signed the gun range and park camera contracts on behalf of the BOCC. Those agreements include Clay County's standard addendum, which blocks automatic renewal and caps annual spending at whatever the county appropriates. The three CCSO-signed contracts follow Flock's standard auto-renewal terms and continue indefinitely unless either party gives 30 days' notice.
Cameras Have Aided Past Criminal Cases
CCSO has used license plate reader technology since 2018, according to News4Jax. In the year before the removal announcement, the agency said the cameras helped locate a missing 76-year-old woman from South Carolina, identify a homicide suspect in a stabbing and recover a 10-year-old taken in a custody interference case.
Sheriff Says Public Trust Won't Suffer
When CCSO announced the removal on Aug. 31, Sheriff Michelle Cook said in a statement reported by Jax Today that the decision would not hinder the office's crime-fighting efforts or public trust.
County and Sheriff Haven't Addressed Report
Neither the Sheriff's Office nor Clay County government has publicly addressed the contract details outlined in the report. The status of cameras at parks, the gun range and other non-state-road locations remains unclear.
Residents with public safety concerns can contact the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 904-264-6512.
