Installation of new Flock cameras in Texas halted following funding pause – The Daily Texan

The Texas Department of Public Safety has paused the installation of additional automated license plate readers following Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent order to pause state funding for Flock cameras.

Flock cameras, a specific brand of automated license plate readers, are often used by DPS to assist law enforcement in missing persons and auto theft investigations, among other criminal investigations, wrote a DPS media and communications spokesperson in an email. DPS did not say they plan to stop using current cameras.

“Law enforcement agencies that did not have signed agreements with DPS could previously access DPS’ (Automated License Plate Reader) network to look up specific and full license plate numbers only,” the spokesperson wrote. “Moving forward, only law enforcement agencies with signed agreements with DPS will be able to conduct searches of any type to access data and images captured on DPS ALPRs.” 

DPS has spent approximately $11 million on about 900 automated license plate readers, they wrote. The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority funded these cameras.

According to reporting from the Texas Tribune, the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority — whose board is mostly appointed by the governor — used $30 million from a state-wide $1 raise to Texan’s auto insurance costs to fund at least 3,200 Flock cameras. The DPS received $15.9 million, the Tribune wrote.

There are 237 Flock cameras in the Austin area at the time of publication, according to data from Deflock, an open source website that maps license plate readers. Before 2024, there were only 40.

“There is a crackdown across Texas,” wrote Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris in a statement. “In Lufkin, a police officer was indicted on 100 felony charges for misuse of Flock information. Other criminal investigations are underway in other communities.” 

Austin Police Department discontinued its Automated License Plate Reader policy in 2025 and does not plan to negotiate a new contract with Flock, APD wrote in a statement. 

“Almost all Flock cameras in Texas are used by cities, and those cities are increasingly cancelling their contracts with Flock,” Mahaleris wrote.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Department has used Flock cameras when investigating auto theft, missing persons cases and criminal investigations, a Travis County Sheriff’s department spokesperson wrote in a statement. They do not own or lease any Flock cameras and cannot access cameras operated by the Texas Department of Transportation or DPS, they wrote. TxDOT did not respond to a request to comment.