Dallas City Council Supports Funding for Flock Safety Cameras Amid Deactivations
Dallas City Council members largely backed continued funding for Flock Safety license plate readers, despite some cameras being deactivated due to a state funding pause.
The Dallas City Council has indicated its support for maintaining Flock Safety license plate reader cameras across the city. This decision came during a budget debate where a majority of council members sided with Dallas police, viewing the cameras as essential for crime solving and tracking suspects. Drivers in Dallas can expect the network of cameras to remain a fixture, with city funding signaling their continued operation, though some cameras are already offline.
GovTech reported that the council’s stance emerged from discussions on the city manager's proposed $5.6 billion budget. This nonbinding vote rejected a proposal to cut $1.5 million designated for Flock cameras. The vote suggests that city funds will keep many cameras operational, even as the network faces scrutiny from state officials and privacy advocates.
What does this mean for cameras on Dallas streets?
Dallas police announced the deactivation of 321 cameras earlier this month. These cameras were previously supported by state grant funding, which Governor Greg Abbott has paused. Despite these deactivations, the city's commitment to its own funding suggests a significant portion of the camera network will remain active.
For drivers, this means many license plate readers will continue to record vehicle movements on Dallas roads. You can always check our /map to see where these and other ALPRs are located and contribute new sightings to help other drivers.
Council Member Adam Bazaldua raised concerns about data retention and access by outside agencies, including for immigration enforcement. He proposed exploring alternative vendors, noting that "one particular vendor is where there have been issues and privacy concerns."
Council Member Bill Roth initially considered supporting the funding cut. However, after hearing from colleagues and Dallas police, he ultimately supported keeping the technology. He acknowledged his previous lack of understanding regarding camera usage and safeguards.
What's next for Dallas's ALPR network?
The Dallas City Council is set to vote on the final budget on September 16. While Wednesday's vote was nonbinding, it strongly indicates that the $1.5 million in city funding for Flock cameras will remain in the budget. This local funding is separate from the state grants that previously supported the deactivated cameras.
Despite the local council's support, the overall future of the city's license plate reader network remains somewhat uncertain due to the state-level pause in funding and ongoing privacy debates. For more background on how ALPRs work and the data they collect, visit our /learn section.