Rockport to keep license plate cameras amid data concerns
Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, September 23, 2026
ARANSAS COUNTY— Rockport authorities will continue using automated license plate reader cameras following a city council discussion about the technology’s role in criminal investigations and concerns over how vehicle-location data is collected and handled.
Police Chief Nathan Anderson told council members the department has used the cameras for years to help locate stolen vehicles, find missing people and assist with criminal investigations.
Anderson said access to the system is limited to a small number of authorized users and that department policies are intended to prevent misuse.
He emphasized that an alert from a license plate reader does not establish that a crime has occurred or automatically justify a traffic stop.
“That doesn’t mean that somebody’s committed a crime,” Anderson said. “The officer still has to be at work. The officer still has to investigate that lead that they got … they have to verify the information. They can’t just automatically go up and stop a car because there’s a hit.”
The cameras capture license plate information that can help investigators identify vehicles associated with criminal investigations or law enforcement alerts.
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Some residents and community representatives supported continued use of the technology, while others questioned how much information the cameras collect and where that data goes.
DeFlock 361 rep Jacob Miller, opposed continued use of the cameras, arguing that tracking vehicles can also reveal information about the people who drive them.
“But a license plate is a direct proxy for the driver,” Miller said. “By tracking the car, you track the citizen.”
Mayor Pro Tem Andrea Hattman, who represents Ward 4, said her concerns centered on residents’ understanding of how their information is handled rather than the department’s use of the technology.
“I think my issue is not the police,” Hattman said. “You guys do a great job and I think you’re not utilizing them in a way they should not be utilized. I don’t think that’s the issue here.”
Hattman added, “They don’t know where their data is going.”
Mayor Tim Jayroe supported retaining the cameras, citing cases in which he said the technology helped police locate missing elderly residents and murder suspects.
“I think that you’ve got good stuff going in that direction that I’m in favor of keeping them,” Jayroe said. “They’re a tool. They’re a good tool. It helps us solve crimes.”
The discussion reflects a broader debate over automated license plate readers, which can record when and where vehicles are detected. Supporters point to their investigative uses, while critics question the collection, retention and sharing of vehicle-location information.
Anderson maintained that Rockport’s cameras are one investigative tool among many and that department policies and restricted access provide safeguards against misuse.
Jakob Gurley is a multimedia journalist with the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at jakob.gurley@vicad.com.