Flock cameras

Fourteen cities and counties have dropped Flock contracts, and Laredo will ask voters to weigh in during a referendum in May.

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state Department of Transportation to stop issuing permits for automated license plate readers.

Carrollton City Council renewed its Flock Safety contract for 82 license plate reader cameras Tuesday, despite resident concerns over surveillance, transparency and the program's cost.

The Dallas Police Department and a Flock representative answered questions on how the city uses Flock data, what data is captured, and who has access to its information.

Law enforcement agencies from across the country search the DPS Flock database once every four seconds, on average. After the Tribune inquired, DPS said it will limit which agencies can access the network.

All but three Dallas City Council members pushed back on a budget amendment calling for an end to funding Flock cameras in a nonbinding vote.

The Dallas Police Department announced it would cease using more than 300 of its Flock cameras a day before council was to consider an amendment to cancel Flock funding.

The amendment, proposed by Dallas City Council Member Adam Bazaldua, will go in front of the city council on Wednesday during a budget workshop.

The order came as The Texas Tribune was preparing to publish an investigation detailing how a state agency has devoted at least $30 million to building the state’s Flock surveillance network.

Concerns over Flock cameras have sparked public push back in cities across North Texas. But one town has successfully pushed back against Flock in their community.

Hood County has shut down and covered three Flock license plate cameras after officials and residents raised privacy and mass surveillance concerns.

The New York Times' Texas editor writes about the controversy surrounding Flock cameras in his latest piece, "Flock Cameras Can Track Every Car in America. Police Love Them. Citizens Don’t."