(TNS) \u2014 The Dallas City Council wants to keep the cameras rolling.<\/p>\n
A majority of council members on Wednesday signaled they agreed with\u00a0Dallas\u00a0police that Flock Safety’s network of license-plate readers across the city has become a key tool for solving crimes and tracking down suspects \u2014 and one that’s too valuable to cut.<\/p>\n
The nonbinding vote rejecting council member\u00a0Adam Bazaldua’s\u00a0suggestion to cut $1.5 million for Flock came during a lengthy debate over amendments to the city manager’s proposed $5.6 billion budget. It comes as the company’s AI-powered cameras face scrutiny from Gov.\u00a0Greg Abbott, other elected leaders and privacy advocates.<\/p>\n
Dallas\u00a0police announced Tuesday that they would deactivate 321 cameras later this month after the governor paused state funding for the technology.<\/p>\n
Several council members voiced opposition to the amendment, citing the cameras’ value to police investigations and public safety. Some echoed concerns about privacy and highlighted a need for safeguards.<\/p>\n
In proposing the amendment, Bazaldua raised concerns about the department retaining Flock data for one year and how\u00a0Dallas’\u00a0camera network could be accessed by outside agencies, including for immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n
One council member,\u00a0Bill Roth, initially signaled he would vote for the amendment. But after nearly an hour of remarks from his colleagues and\u00a0Dallas\u00a0police, he said he would support keeping the technology. He acknowledged he didn’t fully understand how the cameras were being used or what guardrails were in place.<\/p>\n
“Hopefully,” Roth said during the meeting, “the public will understand that we’ve got responsible, thoughtful, effective tools out there that are being managed properly by the folks that are using them.”<\/p>\n
Council member\u00a0Cara Mendelsohn, chair of the public safety committee, emerged as one of the technology’s strongest supporters. She praised the tool as an important part of the city’s violent crime plan and cast Bazaldua’s proposal to strip its funding as a step backward for public safety, likening the amendment to “defund the police 2.0.”<\/p>\n
Bazaldua later asked whether the department could explore working with companies other than Flock.<\/p>\n
“We’ve had a lot of cheerleading for one particular vendor and one particular vendor is where there have been issues and privacy concerns,” he said.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere in\u00a0North Texas:’Privacy isn’t optional’\u00a0Hood County\u00a0constable unplugs, covers Flock cameras<\/p>\n
Council members\u00a0Jaime Resendez\u00a0and\u00a0Paula Blackmon\u00a0voted for Bazaldua’s amendment.<\/p>\n
The council is expected to vote on a final budget\u00a0Sept. 16. Wednesday’s nonbinding vote suggests that $1.5 million in city funding for Flock will remain in the proposed budget, but the future of the city’s camera network remains uncertain.<\/p>\n
The governor’s pause on state funding for Flock prompted\u00a0Dallas\u00a0police to deactivate nearly half the city’s network this month. Police said the cameras were supported through state grant funding.<\/p>\n
Abbott, a Republican, is seeking a fourth term. His Democratic opponent, state Rep.\u00a0Gina Hinojosa\u00a0of\u00a0Austin, has criticized the technology, calling it part of an invasive surveillance network.<\/p>\n