ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is using funding from immigration enforcement to support a variety of law enforcement efforts, including finding missing people and recovering stolen vehicles.
In October 2025, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia awarded the sheriff’s office a million dollars to enhance these efforts.
“This is one of our Flock license plate reader cameras that we have throughout the county. What they do is they capture the vehicle and the vehicle’s tag as they pass through,” Sgt. Kyle Cubbedge said, describing one of the sheriff’s office’s key tools.
In August 2024, an LPR (license plate reader) clocked a stolen car. An analyst used nearby cameras to track it down. When deputies arrived, the suspect tried to run but was caught after falling.
Another stolen car was caught by an LPR, leading to an arrest after the driver refused to stop.
Cubbedge explained how the system works: “So if your vehicle is reported stolen, if it’s associated with a missing person or associated with a wanted person, our dispatch and our real-time intelligence center will get an alert.”
One notable case involved a Texas man with five warrants who was found in Durbin Village with a missing teen. Thanks to the license plate reader, the teen was saved, and the man was arrested.
“Utilizing this technology, we’ve solved hundreds and hundreds of property crimes and more violent crimes,” Cubbedge said.
Data from the last two years shows the impact: 151 missing persons found, 597 stolen vehicles recovered, 220 wanted people arrested, and 782 people charged.
When asked about privacy concerns, Cubbedge responded, “This system is heavily audited, so we do a quarterly audit. Anyone who utilizes this system to search has to have an active case number that they’re currently working on as a reason why they would search the database. And the cameras don’t pick up anything about you or your name or whatnot. There’s no data collection.”
There are more than 160 license plate reader cameras around St. Johns County, and with recent immigration enforcement funding, the number is expected to increase.
Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, warn that systems like Flock have potential for abuse and may invade the privacy rights of citizens not suspected of any crimes.