Wylie City Council voted unanimously to end its contract with Flock, marking the Texas city to move away from the controversial traffic surveillance technology.
After almost two hours of discussion Tuesday the council voted 7-0 to end its automatic contract renewal, with the possibility of revisiting a new contract in the future.
Wylie's contract with Flock will expire on Oct. 31.
Mayor Matthew Porter acknowledged what he saw as the technology's successes in solving cases, but added his concerns are not with the Wylie Police Department. Porter said his main concerns stem from how Flock stores and shares the data.
“My concerns are not with Wiley,” Porter said. “My concerns are that we continue to see misuse by other departments, some of which are partners that we share data with within the state.”
The city had deployed six license plate reader cameras since August 2024 at an annual cost of roughly $27,000. At least one of those cameras was recently vandalized — a trend seen across the nation. Residents in some Flock coverage areas say they are concerned over the privacy and data management of information collected by Flock Safety's automated license plate readers, or ALPR.
Most recently, the Hood County Commissioners Court shut down three Flock cameras after residents raised concerns.
Wylie Assistant Police Chief Tommy Walters said the tools were helpful in solving crimes, but he also said the department put additional internal regulations to try and prevent misuse.
“I was a critic of this kind of technology when it first started coming out, " Walters said. “So there was a group of people that sat around and discussed the safeguards that can be put in place from implementation. These weren't knee-jerk reactions.”
Local residents remained focused on who ultimately holds access to their information.
Throughout public comment, speakers like Austin Gregory, founder of DeFlock Wylie, voiced concerns about misused information.
“Once this data leaves Wiley, we have no control over it, and we have not idea what anyone else is doing with it until we do an audit," he said. "There's no way to limit that as long as we are sharing the data in a reciprocal manner.”
Gregory gathered more than 700 signatures on a petition demanding the cameras' removal. While noting the technology can be helpful in specific cases, he called for stricter regulation and greater transparency.
Porter also said he was worried about being locked into a contract with Flock when future regulations and laws could deplete its usefulness.
The council advocated for clear disclosure regarding search logs, including who was searched, when the search occurred, and which officer conducted it.
Wylie's decision reflects a broader national trend. Since debuting in 2020, more than 120,000 Flock cameras have been deployed across every U.S. state except Alaska.
But as Flock Safety continues to announce plans for future advancements, advocacy group DeFlock reported at least 100 cities have deactivated their cameras or canceled their contracts.
Online, DeFlock Wylie applauded the decision.
"This is exactly what residents asked for. Not a rushed replacement, and not a permanent ban on every tool, but a real decision made in the open," the group wrote on its website. "The Council also committed to holding working sessions with residents and law enforcement to decide together what public safety in Wylie should look like next. For the first time, the people who live here have a seat at that table."
Alexsis Jones is a reporter and producer for KERA News. Got a tip? Email Alexsis at ajones@kera.org.
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