Abbott Pauses Texas Agency Funding for Flock Cameras as Cities Reconsider Deals

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies to pause funding for Flock Safety cameras and clarify that agency money cannot be used for them. The move puts a new constraint on a surveillance system that Texas cities and counties are reassessing over privacy, data-sharing and potential-misuse concerns.

A state-backed buildout meets a funding pause

The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority helped state and local agencies install more than 3,000 Flock cameras in Texas since 2023. State grants stemmed from a 2023 law that added $1 to vehicle insurance policies to combat catalytic-converter theft; the Texas Tribune reported that lawmakers had not discussed using that money for Flock cameras before the law passed.

Abbott’s order reaches Texas agency funds, not municipal contracts. His spokesperson said almost all Flock cameras in the state are used by cities and, to the extent cities receive funding for them, most of that funding comes from the federal government. The order therefore does not settle how cities will pay for or retain their systems.

The local response is already concrete

Pflugerville City Council voted unanimously to end its Flock agreement, eliminate all 28 readers covered by the contract and disable access to the system. Hood County Commissioners Court likewise ended its relationship with Flock, directing that its cameras be disconnected and covered while awaiting removal. Those decisions reflect the same privacy, data-sharing and misuse concerns that prompted broader local reconsideration.

Searchable records remain at the center of the dispute

Flock cameras photograph passing vehicles and record identifying information. Their AI can identify traits including make, model, color, bumper stickers and dents; law-enforcement agencies can then search records across participating camera networks. Flock says the system helps solve serious crimes, find missing people and recover stolen vehicles, and says it supports privacy, transparency and accountability guardrails.

The next unresolved issue extends beyond Texas: Sen. Josh Hawley is investigating who can access data collected through Flock’s network. He cited Flock’s claim that it has more than 120,000 cameras in 49 states and processes more than 20 billion vehicle scans a month.