We are peeling back the secrecy surrounding a growing number of cameras on our roads that are used to catch criminals.
License plate readers (LPR) capture the tag numbers without drivers even knowing it.
WATCH BELOW: License plate readers: Crime-fighting tool vs privacy concerns
Some law enforcement agencies won't even say how many cameras are in operation in their jurisdiction.
You may have seen them around your town. They are black poles with a camera on top.
Law enforcement say it gives them extra eyes and helps catch people suspected of crimes.
Keith Ferrera, a Port St. Lucie resident, noticed an object across from his yard located in the median of Westmoreland Boulevard.
"It's a black pole with looks like appears to be cameras on it," Ferrera said.
The object is a license plate reader that Port St. Lucie police said they use throughout the city as one of many investigative tools.
"I'm all for whatever tools the police department needs," Ferrera said. "I'm in favor of it."
WPTV asked the sheriff's offices in St. Lucie and Martin counties how many LPR cameras they operate. However, neither agency would disclose a number.
When we drove just one mile of St. Lucie West Boulevard, where it becomes Prima Vista Boulevard, WPTV found four cameras.
Indian River County told us it operates 140 LPRs, which capture license plates and alert them to wanted vehicles.
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers took us inside its real-time crime center. He said the county's LPRs are working.
"We're using it for putting bad guys in jail, and our stats prove that," Flowers said.
Auto burglaries used to be one of the top crimes in the county, but Flowers said in 2024, they dropped out of the top 10.
"When a crime occurs, immediately our team is looking into it," Flowers said. "They're looking at where did the vehicle go, we're able to make that stop."
The sheriff understands privacy concerns, but said Indian River County is using the cameras responsibly and making it a safer place.
"Could somebody use it in a bad way? No doubt. There is absolutely potential for abuse," Flowers said. "You just have to know that our team here at the sheriff's office we are using it for the things we tell you we are using it for."
Back in Port St. Lucie, Ferrera said he doesn’t mind the extra layer of surveillance.
"There's cameras everywhere today, you've got to expect to be on camera," Ferrera said.
The American Civil Liberties Union has expressed concern about the increased surveillance.
The ACLU encourages departments to be transparent about their use and to routinely delete data that they collect.
