Flower Mound turned down Flock license-plate cameras in 2023. Highland Village embraced them. That split has taken on new weight now that Gov. Greg Abbott has paused all state grants for Flock surveillance cameras statewide, following a Texas Tribune investigation published Friday, Aug. 28 that found at least $30 million from a $1 auto insurance surcharge has been funneled into the license-plate reader network. The state lawmaker leading the pushback against the cameras, Rep. Mitch Little, represents Lewisville — the district next door to both towns.

The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority used proceeds from the fee, which the Texas Legislature unanimously approved in 2023 to fight catalytic converter theft, to award at least 95 grants for roughly 2,000 Flock cameras, the Tribune found. A separate $15.9 million contract added nearly 1,200 more for the Texas Department of Public Safety. In early August, the authority approved another $3 million to install 583 cameras along Texas tollways.

Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said Friday, Aug. 28, that state agencies are directing those funds can no longer go toward Flock cameras, according to the Tribune. The pause came after the Tribune made multiple requests for comment about its findings.

Local lawmaker calls cameras unconstitutional

Rep. Mitch Little, a Lewisville Republican whose District 65 borders Flower Mound, is among the lawmakers pushing back.

"The sheer volume of information captured is not something that is entertained, in my view, by the Fourth Amendment," Little told the Tribune.

Little said he plans to file a bill next legislative session to ban the devices. He said he is particularly concerned about whether vast amounts of personal data are securely stored and whether Flock, a private company, should have access to it. Rep. Brian Harrison, a Midlothian Republican, also said he intends to file a ban.

What Flock cameras capture

Flock cameras use artificial intelligence to create a "vehicle fingerprint," storing each car's license plate, make, model, color and details like dents and bumper stickers, the Tribune reported. Law enforcement agencies nationwide can search the database without obtaining a warrant.

DeFlock, a watchdog group that maps camera locations through verified crowdsourcing, has identified about 13,000 Flock cameras in Texas. That makes the state second only to California. The $1 surcharge has paid for roughly one in four of those cameras, the Tribune found.

Flower Mound said no; Highland Village uses them

Flower Mound does not own any Flock cameras. The town council tabled a $133,750 proposal to install five cameras in May 2023 and never moved forward, according to a North Texas Sun report in July. Cameras visible around town belong to HOAs and commercial property owners, not the town, Communications Director Melissa Demmitt confirmed.

Mayor Pro Tem Adam Schiestel wrote in a July Facebook post, reported by the North Texas Sun, that he has "significant concerns about Flock Safety's data collection, retention, sharing, and governance practices." He supports mobile license plate readers on police vehicles but opposes fixed camera networks.

Two privately owned Flock cameras in Flower Mound were removed after being installed on town-owned poles without authorization, according to the North Texas Sun.

Highland Village takes a different approach. Police Chief Doug Reim presented the city council on Tuesday, Aug. 25, with an overview of the department's Flock system, including privacy safeguards and data-sharing policies, according to city records. The presentation noted that alerts from the automated license plate reader (ALPR) system are investigative leads that must be verified before officers take enforcement action.

Nearby Bartonville, Trophy Club and Lewisville also use Flock cameras.

Misuse cases and growing opposition

The Tribune documented multiple cases of officers misusing Flock data. A Lufkin police officer was indicted Monday, Aug. 24, on 100 counts of misusing official information tied to the cameras. Officers in Baytown, Harris County, Fort Bend County, Temple and Pasadena have also faced arrest, discipline or investigation for data misuse, the Tribune reported.

Almost 100 municipalities nationwide have ended Flock contracts, including Bandera and Hood County in Texas.

The 2023 law that created the $1 fee, SB 224, was named for Harris County Deputy Darren Almendarez, who was shot and killed after interrupting catalytic converter thieves. The legislation made no mention of license plate readers. The fee has raised an estimated $81 million total.

Abbott's pause does not include a timeline for review or reinstatement.