In 2023, the Texas Legislature unanimously passed a law raising auto insurance costs by $1 per year to address catalytic converter theft. According to an analysis by The Texas Tribune, the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority—a state agency led mostly by governor-appointed board members—has devoted at least $30 million of that fee toward deploying Flock surveillance cameras across Texas.
The authority has awarded no fewer than 95 grants helping law enforcement purchase and maintain approximately 2,000 Flock cameras. An additional $15.9 million is supporting the Texas Department of Public Safety in adding nearly 1,200 more cameras. In early August, the agency approved another $3 million for DPS to install 583 additional cameras along Texas tollways over the next year.
According to the Tribune’s analysis, individual grants ranged from $7,000 for two cameras in Bellmead to nearly $1.7 million for 201 cameras in Dallas. Some city networks—including 165 cameras in Laredo and 150 in El Paso—were entirely subsidized by these grants. The exact total remains unclear; 124 grants lack clear public documentation about what equipment was purchased.
Flock cameras are license-plate readers that use artificial intelligence to create a “vehicle fingerprint,” storing license plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color, and physical details in a database accessible by law enforcement nationwide without search warrants. DeFlock, an anti-surveillance watchdog, has identified approximately 13,000 Flock cameras in Texas, suggesting the insurance fee has funded roughly one in four.
After The Texas Tribune’s reporting, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced it was pausing all state funding for local Flock camera grants, stating that any future city funding should come from federal sources.
The move has drawn criticism from lawmakers who say surveillance was never discussed when the insurance-fee bill was considered. State Sen. Carol Alvarado said she was surprised to learn the fee was funding AI-supported license-plate readers, stating she had “boots on the ground” and officer hiring in mind instead.
Concerns have intensified following reports of misuse. A Lufkin officer was indicted Aug. 24 on 100 counts of misusing official information. Officers in Baytown, Harris County, Fort Bend County, Temple and Pasadena have also been arrested, disciplined or investigated for improperly accessing Flock data, including using it to track ex-partners and coworkers.
Grassroots anti-surveillance groups have emerged opposing the cameras, citing privacy concerns. Kenneth Feagins, an organizer with DFW DeFlock, described an “alarming trend” of police misusing the network to track where people live, shop, worship and work.
Key facts
- The $1 per-year auto insurance fee increase has raised approximately $81 million since 2023
- At least 3,200 Flock cameras have been funded using the insurance fee revenue
- Individual city grants ranged from $7,000 to nearly $1.7 million
- Gov. Abbott paused state funding for local Flock camera grants after the Tribune’s reporting
- A Lufkin officer was indicted on 100 counts of misusing Flock data; officers in multiple Texas cities have been arrested, disciplined or investigated for similar violations
- Texas has approximately 13,000 Flock cameras total, second only to California nationally