Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered all state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras as scrutiny over the AI-powered surveillance devices has mounted.
The cameras have spread from El Paso to the Louisiana border, including 41 operated by Waco-area cities and a dozen or so more by state police in McLennan County.
The order came Thursday as The Texas Tribune was preparing to publish an investigation detailing how a state agency has devoted at least $30 million to building up the state’s Flock surveillance network by providing grants to local police departments.
“To the extent that cities get any funding for those cameras, most of it comes from the federal government. To the extent any funding comes from Texas agencies, those agencies are clarifying that those funds cannot be used for Flock cameras,” Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said Friday in a statement shared first with the Tribune.
The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, led by a board mostly appointed by Abbott, has helped state and local agencies install at least 3,200 Flock cameras since 2023. Almost 1,200 of cameras are being installed by the Department of Public Safety thanks to a three-year, $15.9 million contract with the authority.
The authority’s grants came from a 2023 law that added $1 to Texas auto insurance policies to combat rampant catalytic converter theft. Before the law passed unanimously in the House and Senate, there had been no discussion of using the money for Flock cameras and similar devices, lawmakers told the Tribune.
Flock cameras are a unique type of license plate reader that utilize artificial intelligence to track and store data on vehicle characteristics including the make, model and color as well as details like bumper stickers and dents. Departments that use Flock cameras can allow other agencies to access their devices, creating a massive nationwide network.
A statement from Flock Safety about the pause said the company supports “thoughtful legislation” with privacy guardrails that preserved officers’ use of their product for public safety.
“Flock’s technology is an important public safety tool for law enforcement agencies across Texas, helping officers solve serious crimes, find missing people, recover stolen vehicles, and support safer communities,” the statement read.
In a radio interview Friday morning, Abbott described a “crackdown” happening across Texas as cities and counties have begun canceling contracts with the Flock Safety surveillance company as residents have raised privacy concerns and as reports of misuse have exploded.
Abbott pointed to a Lufkin police officer who is facing 100 counts of misusing public information for allegedly using the area’s Flock cameras to surveil 11 people for more than a year. At least six police departments and sheriff’s offices across Texas in the past month have announced that officers were being placed on leave, investigated or criminally charged.
“This is something that is easily containable, easily controllable, and we’re ensuring that whether it be through criminal crackdowns, whether it be through cancellation of contracts, whatever the case may be, Flock cameras are being reduced dramatically,” Abbott said in the interview with Glenn Beck. “They’re going to be required to be used responsibly if they’re used at all.”
Earlier this week, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Gina Hinojosa released an ad blaming Abbott for the spread of Flock cameras across the state, calling the devices a method of “warrantless surveillance.” A social media post from Hinojosa asked Abbott to “stop turning Texas into a surveillance state.”
Democratic and Republican lawmakers have begun raising concerns about the broad scale of Flock’s network and the amount of data each camera captures. Law enforcement agencies that opt into Flock’s national lookup program can search each other’s data from anywhere in the country.
In July, Republican U.S. Rep. Keith Self proposed legislation to require federal agencies to obtain warrants before accessing Flock camera data. The McKinney Republican said in a news release that the bill would restore privacy rights.
“Americans’ Fourth Amendment right to be secure in their privacy does not disappear just because of new technology or artificial intelligence,” Self said.
In the Waco area, the Robinson City Council held a discussion Aug. 25 on whether to continue with its Flock system. Mayor Greg May argued that the cameras were effective and no more invasive than other modern technologies. However, May said on social media Aug. 28 that he would oppose the renewal with Flock, citing civil liberty concerns.
“While I have received some messages of support for the cameras, the vast majority have been against them,” May wrote. “Unless something significant happens to change my mind, I plan to vote against renewing the contract and ask our city to look at other ways to support public safety.”
Meanwhile, Woodway Mayor Amine Qourzal posted on Facebook Aug. 27 that the city has decided not to pursue Flock cameras at this time.
“As a city, we are always evaluating new technologies that create a brighter future for Woodway, but not at the cost of the core values and privacy of our citizens,” Qourzal wrote.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
