Council will consider new terms, but the cameras will come down if no agreement is reached

Wylie residents who have been asking questions about the city’s license plate reader cameras got an answer this week. On Aug. 25, the Wylie City Council unanimously voted to suspend its contract with Flock Safety, at least for now.

The decision comes after more than 700 residents signed a petition asking the city to reconsider its relationship with the company, which operates automated license plate reader cameras used by law enforcement.

Wylie’s Flock Contract Will Be Suspended

The city’s contract with Flock is set to automatically renew Oct. 13, but council members voted to stop that renewal.

That does not necessarily mean the cameras are gone for good. The council plans to hold a work session to discuss potential new terms with Flock. If the city and company cannot reach a new agreement, the cameras will be removed.

Wylie has used Flock cameras since August 2024 and was paying approximately $27,000 annually for the system, according to CBS News.

DeFlock Wylie Celebrates The Vote

DeFlock Wylie, a group formed to push for the removal of the cameras, called the council’s decision a win while emphasizing that the group wants residents involved in whatever comes next.

“This is exactly what residents asked for. Not a rushed replacement, and not a permanent ban on every tool, but a real decision made in the open,” the group said. “The council also committed to holding working sessions with residents and law enforcement to decide together what public safety in Wylie should look like next. For the first time, the people who live here have a seat at that table.”

Why Residents Wanted The Cameras Reconsidered

The debate centers less on the Wylie Police Department and more on how Flock collects and stores information.

Several residents who spoke before the council supported ending the current contract, while making a distinction between their trust in local police and their concerns about Flock and other license plate reader companies.

Flock cameras photograph passing vehicles and collect information that is stored in a database. Law enforcement agencies around the country can search the database, raising concerns among residents about how far the information can travel and who can access it.

The issue has become part of a broader national conversation about automated license plate readers, privacy and how much information about people’s movements should be available to law enforcement.

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