Red State Takes Major Action On Flock Safety Cameras

Breaking: At Gov. Greg Abbott’s direction, the Texas Department of Transportation has stopped issuing permits allowing Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers to be installed along state roads. https://t.co/qvrzwfXAqp

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 17, 2026

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered all state agencies in August to halt funding for Flock cameras. Nearly all Flock cameras in the state are purchased by cities through federal funding.

The concern spread to Florida, which moved to halt the use of Flock cameras on state highways earlier this year. The Sunshine State’s Department of Transportation said “concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes merit immediate action to preserve Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life.”

Flock has a system of license plate readers, video cameras and audio detection devices incorporated into its AI database — logging details on vehicles to make “signatures.”

Local jurisdictions can share collected data with other law enforcement agencies, creating a major network that can be used in crime solving, but it has also led to misuse by officers in different agencies.

Within the last month, a detective in Deer Park, Texas, was suspended for using Flock’s system to search more than 150 times for plates that were not related to any investigation, according to an ABC affiliate station.

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Dallas police are shutting off 321 Flock cameras on September 15 after Abbott cut off state funding pic.twitter.com/7CtfNLbuSq

— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) September 2, 2026

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City councils and county commissions across the state have also been unplugging their cameras in response to pressure from residents who cite privacy concerns and a growing number of police who were arrested or investigated for misusing Flock cameras to stalk people.

Law enforcement agencies have defended the cameras as a highly effective crime-solving tool that can be effective in reducing vehicle theft and locating missing people.

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