Sarasota Police Chief Demands State Keep License Plate Readers After 50% Reduction
Chief Rex Troche says the automated systems solve more than half of local crimes but 40 cameras were removed from state roads.
By Lina Lewis ·
Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche opened the department's Real Time Operations Center to state lawmakers on October 29, 2026, to argue for the continued use of automated license plate readers. The chief presented data showing these tools solve more than 50% of criminal cases in the city. He urged legislators to allow the network to remain operational under stricter departmental oversight.
Analysts inside the facility, known as the ROC, monitor officer body cameras and track missing persons, stolen vehicles, and hit-and-run crashes in real time. Troche stated that the automated Flock license plate readers are essential to modern policing efforts. He emphasized the speed required to catch suspects before they commit further offenses.
"You have four hours to find that person before something could really happen to them," Troche said. "When we say this is real time, this is a real-time operation center. We are keeping people from being victimized by catching the bad person before they can commit another crime."
The department previously operated around 80 automated license plate readers across the municipality. That number dropped by half after the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the city to remove 40 cameras from state roadways. Sarasota police are now searching for alternative locations to place the removed units.
Troche asked state representatives to approve the continued operation of the system with enhanced standards. He noted that the agency has tightened its internal policies in response to recent scrutiny. "We want to meet with legislators and we want to do it," he said. "If legislators want a copy of our policy to see how we've really tightened it up. I'd be more than happy to send it to them."
The call for legislative clarity follows the arrest of an officer for misusing the database. Administrators removed search capabilities from patrol officers and now require supervisors to oversee every query. The department also established regular internal audits to monitor data usage.
The information in this story was gathered during a facility tour where Chief Troche explained the agency's Real Time Operations Center operations and policy changes.
