Florida Sheriff's Office Expands AI Surveillance Using State Immigration Funds
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office secured nearly $1 million in February to purchase Peregrine, an AI-powered data analysis platform that merges information from multiple sources to generate investigative leads. The funding came from Florida's State Board of Immigration Enforcement, which has allocated more than $1.4 million to the sheriff's office since its creation last year.
The agency says it will use the software to investigate serious crimes like human trafficking. But privacy advocates warn that the technology's core strength - its ability to rapidly combine disparate data sources - poses significant risks to individuals' privacy without clear safeguards.
How the Software Works
Peregrine integrates data from public records, court cases, computer-aided dispatch reports, license plate readers and other sources into a single platform. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office application noted it would share data with state agencies including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The software promises to put "actionable intelligence in the hands of every person in your organization," according to the company's website. Technologists and cybersecurity experts interviewed for this story compared it to Palantir Technologies, a data analysis firm that works with federal and state agencies.
Peregrine's CEO, Nick Noone, previously spent five years at Palantir leading military deployments in the Middle East. He developed the software after embedding with police in San Pablo, California.
Broader Adoption Across Florida
Sarasota is not alone. During the same February funding round, three other Florida sheriffs - in Lee, Osceola and Madison counties - also received money for Peregrine software. The Palm Beach and Washington County sheriff's offices secured funding for biometric and facial recognition scanners.
At least five agencies statewide have adopted Peregrine as the company expands its network of contracts nationwide.
What Happened in Durham
In Durham, North Carolina, public opposition derailed a similar contract. The Durham City Council voted in January to block the police department from adopting Peregrine after residents raised concerns during public meetings about the technology's potential to replicate racial bias in policing and threaten privacy.
"No one here today can promise that Durham's policing tools and infrastructure won't be used against us all in six months," Durham resident Rayna Rusenko said during a council meeting.
That pushback did not occur in Sarasota, possibly because the funding bypassed local oversight. The money came through a separate state fund rather than the county commission.
Existing Surveillance Infrastructure
The Peregrine purchase builds on surveillance tools already in place. The Sarasota County Commission approved the sheriff's office procuring Flock cameras in 2024, which use automated license plate readers. The office can also access Flock cameras operated by some local homeowners' associations.
A public records request revealed the sheriff's office has already integrated generative AI into its workflow. When asked for employees' AI chatbot conversations, the office identified 10,638 matches.
Security and Effectiveness Questions
Comprehensive data on Peregrine's effectiveness does not exist yet. Julie Brancale, a professor at Florida State University's College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said these tools are too new to have been properly evaluated. "The research hasn't yet shown how effective they are," she said.
Peregrine highlights cases on its website where local police solved crimes using the software - a hit-and-run in Pinellas County, a murder suspect in San Bernardino, California, and an abduction in Fairfax County, Virginia.
A Peregrine spokesperson said the company's software operates in "high-sensitivity, high-security environments" and maintains "continuous monitoring, regular third-party audits and compliance with CJIS and HIPAA security frameworks."
Broader Concerns About Data Aggregation
Rachel Levinson-Waldman, director of the Brennan Center for Justice's Liberty and National Security Program, warned that aggregating data enables surveillance of conduct being newly criminalized. "As we speak, abortion and access to reproductive rights are being criminalized," she said. "There are a whole variety of ways that immigration status is being more heavily criminalized."
Joshua Michael, a security researcher who identified vulnerabilities in related surveillance technology, said centralizing data reveals patterns of life. "When a platform links everything into one place, you start revealing relationships, routines," he said.
Immigration Enforcement Connection
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has become a willing partner in Florida's immigration enforcement efforts. Last year, sheriff's deputies transported people accused of immigration violations from three counties to Tampa's ICE facility. Officers also patrolled an immigration detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades.
In a prior funding round in September, the office received more than $280,000 for bonuses for correctional officers and deputies involved in immigration enforcement, a transport vehicle and additional jail beds for ICE detainees.
When asked for an interview, a Sarasota County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said Sheriff Kurt Hoffman was "not inclined" to participate.
Implementation Status Unclear
It remains unclear whether the Sheriff's Office has implemented Peregrine. The Sarasota Police Department told Suncoast Searchlight it does not use the technology. Venice Police Chief Andy Leisenring said the Sheriff's Office has not reached out about the program, though he understands it is "in the works."
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