Sonia Kinyua/Houston Public Media
A Flock Safety camera towers above an intersection in Sugar Land, Texas.
The Texas City Police Department said it would implement operational changes with the use of Flock Safety cameras, or automated license plate readers, after identifying two instances of possible misuse, according to a Sept. 16 news release.
The move comes amid privacy concerns and growing public mistrust of Flock cameras nationwide. Most recently, two Houston-area communities suspended their use of Flock cameras in response to residents’ concerns.
According to Texas City Chief of Staff Joe Tumbleson, the first instance of misuse involved a non-commissioned officer who searched their own license plate to check on the status of their child. Officials said disciplinary action was taken.
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The second instance involved the possible misuse of Flock camera technology by a sergeant at the department, according to the news release. Officials said the investigation is ongoing in that case.
Tumbleson said the two instances of misuse came to light when the interim police chief for the Texas City Police Department decided to do an audit that looked at the department’s use of the cameras, after other cities reported misconduct with Flock cameras.
The police department’s updated policies in regard to Flock cameras include safeguards to ensure the technology is used appropriately, according to the news release.
Policies now limit automated license plate reader search access to Texas City Police Department detectives and the department’s supervisors, who are officers with a rank of sergeant or higher. Officials said this reduces the number of users with search access by about two-thirds.
In addition, it’s now mandatory to provide three justifications for a search to be run, including a case number and a specific reason the database is being searched. The department will also run a monthly audit of all automated license plate reader search users.
According to the news release, automatic license plate readers have been used in Texas City since 2023. Tumbleson said the department currently uses 28 Flock cameras, along with other automatic license plate reader cameras on patrol cars.
Tumbleson said Flock cameras have been instrumental in helping to solve crimes. He said they were recently used to catch a murder suspect within an hour after the crime was committed.
“What I would like the public to know is that we do want them to trust that we’re using these right and that’s hopefully what we’re doing with these monthly audits,” Tumbleson said. “There is some valid criticism of [Flock cameras], but I think that these policies should address that…our goal is to make sure we have complete transparency and the trust of the public in using these effective tools.”