Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras.
The pause, reportedly issued last Thursday, comes after a Texas agency allegedly spent an estimated $30 million on grants used for the technology.
“To the extent that cities get any funding for those cameras, most of it comes from the federal government,” said Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris on Friday. “To the extent any funding comes from Texas agencies, those agencies are clarifying that those funds cannot be used for Flock cameras.”
Flock contracts have been cancelled or rejected across the nation amid concerns surrounding Fourth Amendment violations, with several Texas localities joining the movement.
Flock Safety cameras are used by police departments, businesses, and neighborhoods to provide continuous automated monitoring of license plates. The automated license plate readers use AI to scan license plates and save information about a vehicle, such as make, model, color, and other identifiers like cosmetic damage or bumper stickers.
Flock’s database is free for law enforcement officers to access anytime without a warrant, raising concerns over the potential violations of citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights.
In August, Hood County, along with Pflugerville City Council and ISD, elected to decommission their Flock cameras, while the city of Wylie officials declined to renew their contract with the ALPR company.
Flock Safety spokesman Paris Lewbel described the cameras as useful to law enforcement while also recognizing the need for careful legislation.
“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 safety communities,” stated Lewbel. “We support thoughtful legislation and strong privacy, transparency, and accountability guardrails that ensure technology is used responsibly while preserving law enforcement’s ability to use effective tools to keep people safe.”
Abbott’s pausing of Flock funding stands in contrast to previous state actions regarding the cameras.
In 2023, Gov. Abbott signed a law that required auto insurers to pay a certain deposit to the state “to be used only for coordinated regulatory and law enforcement activities intended to detect and prevent catalytic converter theft in [Texas].”
The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA), led by a board mostly appointed by Abbott, has allegedly issued at least $30 million of this deposit in the form of grants to help law enforcement purchase and maintain at least 3,200 Flock cameras since 2023.
According to reporting, Laredo and El Paso Flock networks were entirely subsidized by the grants, and nearly $1.7 million was given to Dallas to pay for 201 Flock cameras.
In a recent interview with Glenn Beck, Abbott stated that “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 and they’re going to be required to be used responsibly if they’re used at all.”
Texas lawmakers are expected to evaluate potential guardrails for the technology in the upcoming legislative session.
