A surveillance camera is seen in the median of West Cesar Chavez Street at Lavaca Street next to Austin City Hall.
Austin American-Statesman/Hearst Newspapers/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images
A Central Texas petition has garnered the support of hundreds in encouraging city leaders to remove Flock Safety cameras around town.
The North Austin suburb of Cedar Park is the latest among a series of Texas communities grappling with Flock Safety camera technology and alleged improper dissemination and usage of the data. Cedar Park resident Olivia Crow created the petition on September 6, which has since gathered 395 signatures and a response from the city’s mayor as of Thursday, September 17.
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Cedar Park residents call upon city council to terminate Flock Safety contract
In her petition, Crow wrote that mass surveillance devices, including Flock cameras deployed around the city, “infringe upon our privacy and civil liberties.”
“We, the residents of Cedar Park, are deeply concerned about the implications of such intrusive technology in our city,” the petition read in part.
Calls to action included requesting Cedar Park City Council to end its contract with Flock and to avoid future contracts with similar companies like Axon, which Crow wrote would “provide no real solution other than continuing the pattern of invasive monitoring.”
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“As members of this community, we deserve to feel safe without sacrificing our privacy,” Crow added. “The implementation of community-based safety measures, increased public engagement, and transparent discussions about residents’ concerns are far more effective and ethical approaches to public safety. By investing in these initiatives, Cedar Park can set an example of how to maintain security while respecting individual rights.”
MySA reached out to Crow for further comment regarding her petition and public safety concerns.
Cedar Park mayor responds amid calls to remove Flock Safety cameras
On Monday, September 14, Cedar Park Mayor James Penniman-Morin commented on the petition, noting he is working to fully grasp “this complex and unprecedented issue.” Under Texas Open Meetings Act rules, council members are restricted on what they can discuss outside a scheduled meeting, with Penniman-Morin noting his comment is brief as a result.
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“Within those limits, I’m doing my best to take in what this community is sharing, and I genuinely appreciate the perspectives and opinions you’ve put forward,” he wrote. “I want people to feel heard on this, and I’m looking for more opportunities to hear these thoughts directly from the community going forward.”
When could Cedar Park City Council discuss this issue?
During a September 10 Cedar Park City Council meeting, multiple community members, including Crow, spoke before council during general public comment and requested a future council item to consider ending its Flock agreement. The next regularly scheduled Cedar Park City Council meeting is slated for Thursday, September 24.
That meeting’s agenda hadn’t yet been published as of this writing. Under Texas Open Meetings Act laws, local government agencies are required to post meeting notices and agenda items a minimum of three full business days prior to the scheduled meeting.
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Which Central Texas cities, counties have removed Flock cameras, ended contracts?
MySA’s sister media outlet The Houston Chronicle published on Wednesday, September 16 its statewide map of all the communities that have taken steps toward ending contracts or removing Flock cameras from their rotation. The Central Texas municipalities that have either terminated agreements or deactivated cameras as of Thursday include:
City of Austin: ended contract
City of Bastrop: deactivated cameras
Burnet County: removed cameras
City of Elgin: pausing use of cameras
Hays County: ended contract
City of Lago Vista: ended contract
City of Leander: ended contract
City of Manor: ended contract
City of Pflugerville: ended contract
Pflugerville ISD: suspended use
City of San Marcos: removed cameras
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On Thursday, September 17, the Austin suburb of Liberty Hill announced its city council had voted unanimously to end the use of Flock’s license plate recognition cameras across town, with city officials allowing that contract to expire in October. All Flock cameras citywide were removed on Tuesday, September 15. Finally, Hutto City Council also voted unanimously to end its Flock contract during a Thursday, September 17 meeting.