Texas Cities Grapple with Funding Freeze for Flock Surveillance Cameras

Gov. Greg Abbott withdrew state money for the Flock automated license-plate-reader program in August, leaving dozens of municipalities to decide whether to fund the systems themselves. At least 14 cities and counties have already unplugged more than 900 cameras, and many others are holding nonbinding referendums or council votes to gauge taxpayer support for continued operation.

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The anti-surveillance watchdog DeFlock estimates roughly 13,000 Flock cameras are deployed across Texas. The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority had previously directed at least $30 million to help local agencies purchase and subscribe to more than 3,200 cameras, with $10.9 million earmarked through 2027 for subscriptions covering over 2,600 devices. In Laredo, the state-funded grant covered the installation cost of 165 cameras; the city’s annual operating budget for the system is about $1 million. Other recent contracts include a $260,000 agreement in Addison, a $300,000 grant to College Station, and a $205,000 grant intended for 32 cameras in Kyle.

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Laredo’s city council voted 7-2 to place a nonbinding referendum on the ballot, asking 272,000 residents whether they should fund the 165-camera network. Mayor Victor Treviño said the pause in state funding changes the circumstances for local taxpayers. In Kyle, the council approved continued use of 32 cameras despite a missing $80,000 grant, with Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale noting the difficulty of replacing a system that has not caused complaints. Smaller departments such as Schertz report “major havoc” from the loss of anticipated reimbursements, while officials in Addison and College Station argue the cameras have aided investigations.

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Privacy advocates warn that the databases built from license-plate scans can be accessed by hundreds of agencies nationwide, raising fears of a surveillance state. Audits revealed unauthorized use of data by thousands of entities, prompting the Texas Department of Public Safety to restrict access. Critics also point out that the technology could require fewer officers than traditional patrols, a claim highlighted by College Station police chief Billy Couch.

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• “In my opinion as the head of this local government, with state funding paused, the circumstances have changed,” — Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño

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• “You can’t afford the number of cops it would take to do what this system is doing,” — Billy Couch

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• “I mean, depending on how big or how small the government entity is, having tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars of [automated license plate readers] not being reimbursed like we thought they were is a major hit to the budget,” — Phillip Waller, assistant police chief

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• “I personally believe it’s political, and I think on Nov. 4, if [Abbott is] reelected, that’ll come back, and the money will start flowing in again,” — Tyler King

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• “When we’re asked to remove something like Flock, it’s difficult, because what do we use instead of it?” — Yvonne Flores-Cale, mayor

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