Staff Writer
As FSC students rounded Lake Hollingsworth on their way to move-in for the academic year, they may have noticed camera fixtures that previously had gone unnoticed: Flock cameras. The solar-powered posts that host these cameras can be seen facing Lake Hollingsworth Drive next to the Becker Business Building and around Lake Hollingsworth near Collins Lane. Another near the intersection of Frank Lloyd Wright and Johnson Avenue stands without the camera itself.
These cameras became embroiled in controversy this summer as diverse critics like the ACLU and Gov. Ron DeSantis turned against what the governor called the beginning of a “surveillance state.” Law enforcement agencies making use of these automatic license plate readers’ (ALPRs) argue that the cameras are a vital tool for law enforcement to ensure public safety and catch criminals. For Florida Southern, the question is who controls these cameras and what they can see…