The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has ceased the issuance of permits for the installation of Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers along state roads, following directives from Governor Greg Abbott. This suspension, confirmed by an agency spokesperson on Thursday, does not affect the more than 900 cameras already operational on state rights-of-way, including those managed by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
According to TxDOT, their role involves reviewing permits to ensure that license plate readers are installed safely and correctly on state-owned roadways. The suspension also extends to agreements that have received approval but have not yet been implemented.
It was noted in a presentation by the police chief of Schertz, a city located northeast of San Antonio, that this pause began on September 8; however, TxDOT did not immediately verify the start date of the suspension.
The automated cameras, which capture images of passing vehicles to generate a searchable database of license plate numbers and other identifying information, have sparked increasing privacy concerns among the public.
This pause follows Governor Abbott’s order in late August to halt state funding for Flock cameras, coinciding with an impending investigative report revealing that a small state agency had allocated at least $30 million for the installation of over 3,200 Flock cameras throughout Texas.
In a similar move, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the removal of these cameras from state roads, expressing his desire to avoid a “surveillance state.”
As of August, Texas was estimated to have around 13,000 Flock cameras, but many have been taken offline following the funding freeze initiated by Abbott. In response to growing resident concerns regarding privacy and recent instances of law enforcement personnel being arrested or investigated for misusing these cameras, city councils and county commissions across the state have also begun disconnecting their systems.
Despite the controversy, law enforcement agencies have defended the use of Flock cameras, citing their effectiveness in solving crimes, reducing vehicle theft, and aiding in the recovery of missing persons.
