The Texas Department of Transportation has stopped issuing permits for Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers on state roads.
The suspension was ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott and confirmed Sept. 17 by a TxDOT spokesperson, according to The Texas Tribune.
The action will not impact cameras already installed along state rights-of-way, including the 900 cameras operated by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Agreements that have been approved but not yet installed will also be suspended.
TxDOT approves permits for the cameras but does not conduct the installations. The agency also reported that it does not have access to footage collected from Flock cameras along state roads.
The decision follows a late-August order from Abbott blocking state funding for Flock cameras shortly before The Texas Tribune published a report about a state agency that directed at least $30 million toward funding more than 3,200 Flock cameras statewide, the news report states.
There were an estimated 13,000 Flock cameras across Texas in August, but hundreds of devices have since been taken offline following the funding freeze.
City councils and county commissions have also been suspending the use of their cameras following pressure from residents over privacy concerns and misuse from members of law enforcement, according to The Texas Tribune. At the same time, law enforcement agencies have defended the cameras as a tool for solving crimes, locating missing people and recovering stolen vehicles.
Florida Gov. Ron Desantis issued a similar order on Aug. 31, directing the Florida Department of Transportation to remove Flock cameras from state highways, according to ABC News.
In Florida, the cameras must be removed by the parties that were issued permits within 30 days, and any cameras that are not removed will be taken down by FDOT.
Roads & Bridges’ and Mass Transit’s upcoming episode of the Infrastructure Technology Podcast discusses Flock cameras and their growing use nationwide.
Sources: The Texas Tribune, ABC News
