Flock cameras — new technology that law enforcement uses to track vehicles — are extremely unpopular in Texas, a new poll shows.
A 63.6% majority of respondents opposed the cameras, with 51% “strongly” opposed.
Altogether, a mere 28.1% of respondents said they support “local government’s use of automatic license plate reader cameras, such as Flock cameras, at public intersections.”
The Overton Insights survey of 1,167 likely Texas voters was conducted from Aug. 24-26 for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank.
Flock Safety, an American company, produces ALPR cameras that can record not only license plate numbers, but also unique attributes, such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers.
This data is stored in a searchable database that law enforcement can use to track vehicles’ movements.
Republicans in Texas already appear to be turning against the cameras.
In August, Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texas state agencies not to use funding for Flock cameras.
The Texas Tribune has reported that the state’s Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority “has helped state and local agencies install at least 3,200 Flock cameras since 2023.”
Mr. Abbott’s Democratic opponent in the November gubernatorial election, Gina Hinojosa, opposes Flock cameras.
The issue has also factored into the state’s high-stakes Senate race.
State Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominee, has lambasted the cameras in recent campaign stops.
“Flock cameras have no place in Texas,” he said at an Aug. 31 rally in Kerrville. “These aren’t ordinary security cameras. … Collecting this level of information endangers more people than it protects.”
The campaign of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate nominee, did not respond to a request for his position on the cameras.
Rep. Keith Self, Texas Republican, has been one of the most prominent congressional opponents of Flock cameras, saying they infringe on Americans’ privacy rights.
However, some in law enforcement say the cameras help keep communities safe.
The technology has “helped solve crimes throughout Dallas,” the city’s police Chief Daniel Comeaux said in August. “And it will continue to help solve crimes throughout Dallas. So we’re very happy with the results that we get from it.”
A Flock spokesperson said in a statement to The Washington Times, “We welcome city and state officials setting clear, binding standards for retention, access, and oversight to give communities confidence that license plate readers are being used for what they’re for: solving crimes and bringing people home, not for anything else.”
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