Texas DPS to Continue Using Vast Surveillance Network Despite Abbott's Order Limiting Flock Cameras

How This Story Was Built

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Why This Matters

This story matters to Texas readers because it highlights the ongoing use of surveillance technology by the Texas Department of Public Safety, despite Governor Abbott's order limiting the use of Flock cameras. The article raises concerns about the potential for warrantless surveillance and the need for transparency and accountability in the use of such technology.

What Happened

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has announced that it will continue to use its vast surveillance network, despite Governor Abbott's order limiting the use of Flock cameras. The DPS network, which includes hundreds of AI-powered cameras, compiles identifying information on tens of thousands of vehicles each day. According to a Texas Tribune review, law enforcement agencies from across the country search the DPS Flock database once every four seconds, on average.

The DPS network is accessed by a law enforcement agency somewhere in the United States to search for specific license plates or probe for a vehicle based on its make, model, color, or other characteristics. More than 58,000 searches were conducted for 'traffic infractions,' including some listed for running stop signs or following cars too closely. 111 searches listed Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and other immigration-related details, including 'ICE deportation warrant,' as reasons for the query.

The DPS spokesperson said that the agency will pause installing additional cameras but will continue using existing cameras for 'legitimate public safety efforts.' Flock camera contracts are a recurring expense, and DPS did not respond to questions about how it plans to fund them long term without state dollars. The Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority agreed to help fund and support the DPS network in part to make it available to police across the state.

Why it matters

Governor Abbott's order blocking state agencies from spending money on Flock cameras came August 27, amid the Tribune's inquiries about a small state agency tapping at least $30 million from a fund dedicated to catalytic converter theft to help pay for at least 3,200 Flock cameras for law enforcement agencies across the state. In addition, the authority agreed in August — before Abbott's directive — to give DPS an additional $3 million to blanket seven Texas toll roads with 583 more Flock cameras.

Texas is estimated to have at least 13,000 Flock cameras and another 1,000 similar devices, according to DeFlock, an anti-surveillance watchdog that uses verified crowd sourcing to publicize the location of license plate readers. Texas' funding block came days before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis banned all Flock cameras from state highways. Abbott has been less explicit, saying he's leaving it up to locals to decide whether to take down cameras purchased with state money.

Most of the money for Flock cameras actually comes from the federal government and is used at the city level, and things like that, and so it's going to be up to city officials themselves to unplug the Flock cameras,' Abbott said Monday. However, what has already been observed is that cities across the state are already unplugging from Flock cameras. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have begun pressing Abbott to ban the cameras outright.

Limiting Access

After the Tribune asked why more than 2,800 agencies had searched its network without agreements, DPS said Thursday it will begin limiting access to data from its automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, to agencies with the agreements. Law enforcement agencies that did not have signed agreements with DPS could previously access DPS' ALPR network to look up specific and full license plate numbers only.

Moving forward, only law enforcement agencies with signed agreements with DPS will be able to conduct searches of any type to access data and images,' the agency said in a statement. Asked if Abbott's directive affected the state police force's camera network, a DPS spokesperson said it will pause installing additional cameras. But a spokesperson said the agency will continue using existing cameras for a variety of 'legitimate public safety efforts.'

Flock camera contracts are a recurring expense, and DPS did not respond to questions about how it plans to fund them long term without state dollars. This project — yes, it's under the Texas Department of Public Safety, but this was done for the locals,' Sharon Jones, a DPS major and former vehicle authority board member, said during a March meeting.

Public Reaction

Abbott's Democratic opponent in the Nov. election, Gina Hinojosa, has blamed Abbott in ads and on social media for enabling 'warrantless surveillance' throughout the state. She's not completely against the technology, however, arguing that surveillance plays a role with border security.

If DPS is going to use them along the border for border security, that's different, but that's not my understanding of how they're being used,' Hinojosa said. Jacob Herbert, a corporal with the Coweta County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, told the Tribune that all searches of the DPS network were national in scope and not focused on Texas. Coweta County's 6,700 searches in June made it the top out-of-state department to access the Texas cameras.

Our investigators use nationwide searches when they have a legitimate investigative need to locate a subject or vehicle and do not have sufficient information to limit the search geographically,' Herbert said in a statement. The purpose is to identify potential leads regardless of where a subject or vehicle may have traveled.' The Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority agreed to help fund and support the DPS network in part to make it available to police across the state.

Surveillance Network

The DPS surveillance network includes hundreds of AI-powered cameras that compile identifying information on tens of thousands of vehicles each day.

The DPS spokesperson said that the agency will pause installing additional cameras but will continue using existing cameras for 'legitimate public safety efforts.'

Funding

The authority agreed in August — before Abbott's directive — to give DPS an additional $3 million to blanket seven Texas toll roads with 583 more Flock cameras.

Permanent KTR Context

This story connects to KTR's permanent policy and government coverage: DPS, Texas Agency Authority, Texas Government, TxDOT, Texas Data Center, TCEQ. These pages continue tracking the issue after this news cycle moves on.

Source Attribution

Keep TX Red rewrote the coverage independently and links to the original for verification.

Keep TX Red is an aggregation and synthesis publication. This story was independently rewritten from the linked source material rather than copied from a single publisher. Where the research packet contains an exact primary or official record, that record is labeled separately in the source list below.

Source Context

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GINA HINOJOSA — Democratic

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