Mayor Eugene Escobar Jr. is asking council to pause the installation of cameras
Another Collin County city is taking a second look at its relationship with Flock cameras, as concerns over privacy and how license plate data can be accessed continue to spread across North Texas.
Princeton Mayor Eugene Escobar Jr. said in a Facebook video that he plans to ask the city council to pause the installation of new Flock cameras after the city received seven of them on Aug. 27. The cameras had already been approved by council in June 2025 and were funded through a grant.
The move comes just days after Wylie officials voted to suspend their Flock contract, making Princeton the latest Collin County community to question the technology.
Why Princeton Is Reconsidering The Cameras
Escobar said the city initially approved Flock cameras because of their role in a local homicide investigation. The technology helped police track down a suspect and locate the victim within hours.
“At the time, we saw firsthand how this technology could be used as an effective public safety tool,” said Escobar Jr. “However, since then, a lot more information has come to light about how these systems can be accessed, shared and potentially used by agencies outside of our community.”
The city has since received new cameras, but Escobar said he plans to recommend that council reconsider whether Princeton should move forward with them.
“Residents have raised legitimate concerns about privacy, government overreach, and how this technology could be used beyond its original public safety purpose,” Escobar Jr. said. “I share many of those concerns.”
Escobar emphasized that his concerns are not directed at the Princeton Police Department. Instead, he said he wants to ensure technology installed for public safety cannot be used in ways that compromise residents’ privacy.
Wylie Recently Made A Similar Move
Princeton’s reconsideration follows a unanimous decision by the Wylie City Council on Aug. 25 to stop the automatic renewal of its Flock contract.
More than 700 Wylie residents signed a petition asking the city to reconsider its use of the automated license plate readers.
Wylie has used Flock cameras since August 2024, and the city had been paying approximately $27,000 annually for the service.
Council members voted to suspend the contract’s automatic renewal, which is scheduled to take effect Oct. 13. However, the decision does not necessarily mean Wylie’s cameras are permanently headed for the scrap heap.
The council plans to hold a work session to discuss whether a new agreement with Flock could address residents’ concerns. If the city and company cannot agree on new terms, the cameras will be removed.
What Flock Cameras Do
Flock cameras use automated license plate recognition technology to photograph vehicles and collect information that can help law enforcement investigate crimes and identify vehicles.
The technology has become increasingly common among police departments, but its use has also sparked debates about surveillance, data sharing and how information collected by one community can potentially be accessed by agencies elsewhere.
That broader debate is now playing out closer to home, with Princeton and Wylie both reconsidering how much access local law enforcement and outside agencies should have to vehicle data collected within their communities.
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