Officials in St. Lucie County, Florida, discovered 11 automated license-plate cameras with no publicly identified owner as the county moves to remove the surveillance devices amid growing privacy concerns.

St. Lucie County officials discovered while preparing to remove automated license-plate readers from county roads. Officials had believed there were 52 Flock cameras operating throughout the county, but instead found 14 additional devices that had not been identified and had not received the required county permits.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office claimed three of the newly discovered cameras but has not explained why they were installed without permits. The county's two other law enforcement agencies said the remaining cameras do not belong to them, leaving 11 devices without a publicly identified owner.

The unidentified cameras have raised questions about who installed them, whether they are collecting motorists' information and who may have access to the data. County officials have issued notices ordering the owners to remove the cameras within 30 days.

County spokesman Erick Gill said officials plan to begin covering the devices with plastic bags while the removal deadlines expire between October 16 and October 20.

Flock Safety has contacted the county and offered to help determine what happened. The company also noted that permitting requirements vary between jurisdictions.

The discovery comes as Florida faces broader scrutiny over Flock's automated license-plate reader network. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has criticized the technology, warning that widespread use of license-plate readers could contribute to what he described as a "surveillance state."

The Florida Department of Transportation recently revoked permits for automated license-plate readers located along state highway rights-of-way and ordered local governments to remove them by September 30. The department cited concerns over potential misuse and the privacy of information collected by the cameras.

St. Lucie County commissioners separately voted to remove cameras from county roads. Flock maintains that its technology helps law enforcement locate stolen vehicles, missing people, and criminal suspects.

Privacy concerns have intensified following investigations into law enforcement officers using the nationwide system for unauthorized searches involving people in their personal lives. Flock has responded by introducing additional safeguards, including requiring case numbers for searches and automated reviews intended to detect unusual activity.

The 11 unidentified cameras now add another layer to the debate, as county officials work to determine who installed the devices and whether they were collecting information without the required local authorization.