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<\/p>\nHarris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is calling for a special commissioners court meeting to address privacy, oversight, and data access concerns surrounding the county\u2019s use of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras.<\/p>\n
In a post on her Substack, Hidalgo said Harris County needs a public discussion about automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, and how it operates in the county. She said the technology can help solve crimes and save lives but also can be abused, including to track or stalk people.<\/p>\n
Hidalgo said she believes Harris County urgently needs stronger privacy protections and oversight for the systems.<\/p>\n
The county renewed its Flock contract on May 28, 2026. County records show the renewal covers June 6, 2026, through June 5, 2027. The renewal was approved for $868,975. <\/p>\n
Hidalgo said she abstained from the vote and criticized the way the renewal was handled, arguing that the item was placed on a business court agenda despite the controversy surrounding ALPR technology.<\/p>\n
The renewal ultimately passed 4-0, with Hidalgo abstaining, according to Hidalgo\u2019s account. Hidalgo said the contract was approved without privacy parameters or oversight requirements and that commissioners intended to add those provisions later. As of September, she said, those privacy provisions had not been added.<\/p>\n
Hidalgo wants public review of ALPR system<\/p>\n
Hidalgo outlined three steps she believes Harris County should take.<\/p>\n
First, she said the county should produce a clear summary of its ALPR contracts.<\/p>\n
Second, she called for a public discussion that includes experts who can address privacy concerns and potential oversight measures.<\/p>\n
Third, she said Harris County should not continue the programs until appropriate oversight provisions have been incorporated into the contract.<\/p>\n
Hidalgo said discussions about the issue are currently taking place among agencies behind closed doors but should instead occur publicly and be completed promptly.<\/p>\n
She also said the \u201csheriff\u2019s office has acknowledged the need for stronger governance and has disciplined officers who abused the Flock camera system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flock scrutiny spreads across the Houston area<\/p>\n
The debate over Flock cameras is not limited to Harris County. Across the Houston area, law enforcement investigations, allegations of misuse and questions about privacy, security and cost have prompted several communities to reconsider how the technology is used and whether it should continue.<\/p>\n
Houston police said it is investigating certain uses of the Flock system by officers for potential policy violations. HPD has not disclosed how many officers are being investigated, but said it identified usage that warranted further review. The department said any violations discovered will be investigated by its Internal Affairs Division and that some accounts had been placed on hold during the audit.<\/p>\n
Houston Police Officers\u2019 Union President Douglas Griffith said Flock itself may have flagged some officers based on their usage patterns. Griffith, who said he is not directly involved in the investigation, said he expected many of the issues to involve training rather than intentional misconduct. He also noted that officers who regularly use the system could attract greater scrutiny simply because they conduct more searches.<\/p>\n
Former Katy police officer Sergio Guadalupe Rodriguez was charged with stalking and misuse of official information after allegedly using the Flock system to track his ex-wife. He was also accused of placing a tracker on her vehicle.<\/p>\n
At the same time, several cities are debating the future of Flock cameras more broadly. League City voted to put a proposition on the November ballot asking residents whether the city should continue using the cameras. In Conroe, the City Council considered whether to place a binding Flock-related proposition on the November ballot, but the measure did not receive the three votes required to advance.<\/p>\n
In Manvel, Mayor Dan Davis has called for the city to reconsider its relationship with Flock, while emphasizing that his concerns are with Flock\u2019s system and data practices rather than ALPR technology itself.<\/p>\n
Davis said he supports the use of technology to assist law enforcement but wants stronger safeguards governing how information is collected, aggregated, shared and secured. He said he has also heard concerns from Manvel residents and recently questioned a Flock representative about security vulnerabilities involving the company\u2019s hardware. According to Davis, the representative did not have an immediate answer and said he would have to follow up.<\/p>\n
Davis said the Flock issue was scheduled for discussion at the Manvel City Council\u2019s Sept. 8 meeting.<\/p>\n
A broader debate over oversight<\/p>\n
Hidalgo\u2019s call for a special meeting places the county\u2019s Flock contract within a broader debate over how law enforcement agencies should use automated license plate reader technology while protecting privacy.<\/p>\n
For Hidalgo, the central issue is not whether ALPRs can be useful to law enforcement. She has said she agrees that they can help solve crimes and save lives. Her stated concern is whether Harris County has established adequate rules governing how the technology and the information it collects can be used.<\/p>\n
She is now asking the commissioners court to publicly examine the county\u2019s contracts, the agencies with access to the information, the number and location of cameras, and the safeguards governing their use.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe members who forced the item through owe the public answers to these questions,\u201d Hidalgo wrote.<\/p>\n
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