Floating Florida Flock?

EYES ON THE TIDE: Are Floating Surveillance Cameras The Next Big Brother in Tampa Bay?

Last week, the state hit the kill switch on Flock cameras along our highways. But as the "eyes in the sky" come down, an unsettling new rumor is bubbling up from the boat ramps and seawalls.

While we haven't seen them officially listed on any city agenda yet, the chatter is getting loud: Floating surveillance?

Boaters and waterfront residents have reported spotting strange, solar-powered buoys outfitted with high-res optics bobbing just outside the main channels. They don't look like your typical No-Wake markers, and they definitely aren't crab traps.

The Rumor: Water-based ALPR technology already exists for major shipping ports, and the leap to monitoring a Saturday afternoon boat cruise isn't a long one.

While no local agency has talked about a "Marine Pilot Program" yet, history shows that surveillance tech has a habit of showing up long before the public is ever notified. If you’re out on the water this weekend and see a low-profile, grey pod with a rotating lens and a solar panel—it might not be a weather buoy.

Anyone seen it?

Anyone cool with it?

If true, anyone surprised?