The Carrollton City Council voted Tuesday to renew the city's contract with Flock Safety for a network of license plate reader cameras.
The city currently has 67 Flock Automatic license plate recognition cameras within its city limits. The approved agreement would cover 82 IP cameras and supporting software.
Most council members expressed support Tuesday night for renewing the contract.
"These cameras solve real crimes and protect real people," said Mayor Pro Tem Daisy Palomo. "They're not statistics. When a child is abducted and an Amber Alert goes out, seconds matter, and those cameras are there."
Council member Richard Fleming as the lone vote against the agreement. He said he supported Flock cameras at city entry and exit points but shared privacy concerns about cameras inside the city.
"Tonight's discussion is bigger than just cameras, it's about determining the appropriate balance between public safety and individual liberty," Fleming said. "I would support allowing the voters of Carrolton to vote on this if they want to block camera systems in the city."
The city describes the agreement as a consolidation of four existing Flock contracts into one three-year contract. It includes 82 cameras and supporting software, but "has no new services and requires no additional funding."
The agreement authorizes up to $398,258.34 in annual spending, with a total contract amount not to exceed about $1.19 million. The memo says funding has already been approved through the Carrollton Police Department's budget, and staff is recommending the council approve the contract.
"This is not an increase in cameras," said council member Nancy Cline. "I do not believe 82 is a surveillance state for Carrollton. I feel like it's basically at the entries to our community and at key areas where high crime has occurred."
Residents have been asking the city for a town hall-style meeting to get answers about Flock cameras and the city's contract, said Hannah Foust, a co-organizer with the group DeFlock Carrollton.
Instead, Foust said residents saw the proposed expansion placed on the consent agenda.
Foust said the group has also filed more than 50 public records requests this summer. She said she has received invoices totaling about $2,000, while another Carrollton resident was charged more than $32,000 for a request.
"Our argument with this is that it shouldn't be this difficult or expensive for a resident to understand a program that impacts every single resident, visitor, business owner, worker in our city," Foust said.
Residents spoke for more than an hour during a public comment period dedicated to the Flock agreement. Several asked the council to reject or postpone the contract, citing concerns about privacy, cybersecurity, data sharing and oversight.
"I believe our City Council and Carrollton Police Department are more than capable of keeping residents safe without building a permanent record of where we go," said Kirk Booth.
"I don't believe public safety and individual privacy have to be competing interests," said Christian Hernandez. "Public safety requires public buy-in and public trust. It erodes both when there's documented proof of these cameras being used to infringe on our basic expectation of privacy."
During Tuesday's meeting, police officials told the council they had not identified any misuse of the Flock system in Carrollton. They also said the department conducts audits of searches, and that a case number is a required field when officers use the system.
"I am going to do my job," said Police Chief Roberto Arredondo. "I'm gonna ensure that there is not misuse. But currently, it's the best tool we have to reduce crime and find our loved ones."
The Carrollton Police Department says the cameras are intended to capture vehicles entering and exiting high-risk areas, rather than monitor shoppers or residents. The department also says data is automatically deleted after 30 days unless it is connected to an active investigation.
The debate in Carrollton comes as Flock faces increased scrutiny across Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies in August to pause funding for Flock cameras as concerns about the technology's use and the amount of information collected by the cameras have grown. Carrollton has not used state funds for its contract with Flock since 2024.
Foust said some North Texas communities have begun moving away from Flock contracts, while Carrollton appears to be moving in the opposite direction
She said the issue has also brought together Carrollton residents who do not necessarily agree on politics.
"I know I'm working with people in my community that we don't agree on that much, but we can agree that this is an overreach," Foust said. "We're willing to lock arms and I think get some work done around this issue, despite having different political leanings."
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Emmanuel at erivas@kera.org.
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