SIGNALDATAAccountability. For the People. Preview
License-plate readers · Harris County

Harris County

Using license-plate readers · 6 agencies documented

← Statewide map
Anderson CountyAndrews CountyAngelina CountyAransas CountyArcher CountyArmstrong CountyAtascosa CountyAustin CountyBailey CountyBandera CountyBastrop CountyBaylor CountyBee CountyBell CountyBexar CountyBlanco CountyBorden CountyBosque CountyBowie CountyBrazoria CountyBrazos CountyBrewster CountyBriscoe CountyBrooks CountyBrown CountyBurleson CountyBurnet CountyCaldwell CountyCalhoun CountyCallahan CountyCameron CountyCamp CountyCarson CountyCass CountyCastro CountyChambers CountyCherokee CountyChildress CountyClay CountyCochran CountyCoke CountyColeman CountyCollin CountyCollingsworth CountyColorado CountyComal CountyComanche CountyConcho CountyCooke CountyCoryell CountyCottle CountyCrane CountyCrockett CountyCrosby CountyCulberson CountyDallam CountyDallas CountyDawson CountyDeaf Smith CountyDelta CountyDenton CountyDeWitt CountyDickens CountyDimmit CountyDonley CountyDuval CountyEastland CountyEctor CountyEdwards CountyEl Paso CountyEllis CountyErath CountyFalls CountyFannin CountyFayette CountyFisher CountyFloyd CountyFoard CountyFort Bend CountyFranklin CountyFreestone CountyFrio CountyGaines CountyGalveston CountyGarza CountyGillespie CountyGlasscock CountyGoliad CountyGonzales CountyGray CountyGrayson CountyGregg CountyGrimes CountyGuadalupe CountyHale CountyHall CountyHamilton CountyHansford CountyHardeman CountyHardin CountyHarris CountyHarrison CountyHartley CountyHaskell CountyHays CountyHemphill CountyHenderson CountyHidalgo CountyHill CountyHockley CountyHood CountyHopkins CountyHouston CountyHoward CountyHudspeth CountyHunt CountyHutchinson CountyIrion CountyJack CountyJackson CountyJasper CountyJeff Davis CountyJefferson CountyJim Hogg CountyJim Wells CountyJohnson CountyJones CountyKarnes CountyKaufman CountyKendall CountyKenedy CountyKent CountyKerr CountyKimble CountyKing CountyKinney CountyKleberg CountyKnox CountyLa Salle CountyLamar CountyLamb CountyLampasas CountyLavaca CountyLee CountyLeon CountyLiberty CountyLimestone CountyLipscomb CountyLive Oak CountyLlano CountyLoving CountyLubbock CountyLynn CountyMadison CountyMarion CountyMartin CountyMason CountyMatagorda CountyMaverick CountyMcCulloch CountyMcLennan CountyMcMullen CountyMedina CountyMenard CountyMidland CountyMilam CountyMills CountyMitchell CountyMontague CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyMorris CountyMotley CountyNacogdoches CountyNavarro CountyNewton CountyNolan CountyNueces CountyOchiltree CountyOldham CountyOrange CountyPalo Pinto CountyPanola CountyParker CountyParmer CountyPecos CountyPolk CountyPotter CountyPresidio CountyRains CountyRandall CountyReagan CountyReal CountyRed River CountyReeves CountyRefugio CountyRoberts CountyRobertson CountyRockwall CountyRunnels CountyRusk CountySabine CountySan Augustine CountySan Jacinto CountySan Patricio CountySan Saba CountySchleicher CountyScurry CountyShackelford CountyShelby CountySherman CountySmith CountySomervell CountyStarr CountyStephens CountySterling CountyStonewall CountySutton CountySwisher CountyTarrant CountyTaylor CountyTerrell CountyTerry CountyThrockmorton CountyTitus CountyTom Green CountyTravis CountyTrinity CountyTyler CountyUpshur CountyUpton CountyUvalde CountyVal Verde CountyVan Zandt CountyVictoria CountyWalker CountyWaller CountyWard CountyWashington CountyWebb CountyWharton CountyWheeler CountyWichita CountyWilbarger CountyWillacy CountyWilliamson CountyWilson CountyWinkler CountyWise CountyWood CountyYoakum CountyYoung CountyZapata CountyZavala County

Harris County Sheriff's Office

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
154
154 county-funded Flock cameras (125 in commissioner precincts, 29 reported by county law enforcement agencies), per the county administration report discussed Oct. 15, 2026 (Community Impact). HCSO said in August it manages 20 cameras. 61 Precinct 4 cameras were taken offline Oct. 8, 2026.
Contract
Flock Safety: $160,500 one-year pilot · from June 2023 · to June 2024 · approved by Harris County Commissioners Court June 2023 · Precinct 2 pilot: 30 plate readers plus gunshot detection; approved by all four commissioners and Judge Hidalgo. ABC13 cites both $160,000 and $160,500. (ABC13 Houston (KTRK), Sept. 10, 2026)
Contract
Flock Safety: $868,975 one-year · from June 6, 2026 · to June 5, 2027 · approved by Harris County Commissioners Court May 28, 2026 · Renewal approved 4-0; County Judge Lina Hidalgo abstained. Covers plate readers and a sound detection system. ABC13 reports about $1.3 million paid since 2023 per auditor invoices. (Industry Insider Texas (GovTech), June 2, 2026; Hoodline, Oct. 2, 2026; Axios Houston, Sept. 14, 2026; ABC13 Houston (KTRK), Sept. 10, 2026)
Data sharing
Per the county contract as described by Community Impact: data deleted after 30 days, owned by the county, access limited to county law enforcement, and an addendum bars sharing without county authorization (Flock's standard terms allow certain legal-process disclosures).
  1. Aug. 14, 2026 HCSO suspended three deputies' Flock access pending an administrative review, required a case code for every search and began using Flock's audit tool. HCSO said it manages 20 of 480 Flock cameras in the county. (ABC13 Houston (KTRK), Aug. 14, 2026)
  2. Oct. 8, 2026 Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones took all 61 Flock cameras on Precinct 4 property offline (13 plate readers and 48 security cameras at nine parks and facilities). County Attorney Abbie Kamin said no court vote was needed. (KPRC Click2Houston, Oct. 8, 2026; Community Impact, Oct. 8, 2026; FOX 26 Houston, Oct. 9, 2026)
  3. Oct. 15, 2026 The Commissioners Court voted 3-2 to form a working group, led by Sheriff Ed Gonzalez with the constables, to recommend ALPR access, sharing and retention rules by February 2027. Briones voted yes; Commissioner Tom Ramsey did not. The county report found no verified list of all ALPRs in the county or of outside agencies with access; Flock data from December 2025 showed about 5,300 active cameras in the county, most not county-owned. (Community Impact, Oct. 16, 2026; KPRC Click2Houston, Oct. 15, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Camera counts conflict: HCSO said it manages 20 of 480 county Flock cameras (ABC13, Aug. 2026); Hoodline describes a 480-camera HCSO network; the county report counts 154 county-funded cameras.
  • Full 3-2 roll call for Oct. 15 not found; only Briones (yes) and Ramsey (no) confirmed.
  • Harris County Constable Pct. 4 (Mark Herman) is pushing a countywide policy and state legislation; Constable Pcts. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 reported to the county review. No constable misuse case found.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Houston Police Department

Status
Removing or limiting cameras
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
318
318 leased Flock cameras proposed by HPD in August 2022 (the presentation's district breakdown sums to 360). Current HPD-owned count not found; HPD searches a much larger pool of shared cameras.
Contract
Flock Safety: $6,400,000 five-year maximum · from 2022 · approved by Houston City Council Aug. 2022 · KHOU reports unanimous approval of up to $6.4 million over five years for 318 cameras; the HPD committee presentation (Aug. 4, 2022) planned council action Aug. 17, 2022. Lease $2,500 per camera plus $250 install. (City of Houston / Houston Police Department, Aug. 4, 2022; KHOU 11, date not shown)
  1. June 2025 A Houston Chronicle analysis of about 500,000 searches found many HPD officers gave vague, blank or nonsense reasons; HPD's 2015 policy does not require a stated reason. (Texas Standard, June 25, 2025)
  2. June 2026 HPD ran about 13% of the roughly 615,000 June searches of the DPS Flock network, the most of any agency. (The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
  3. Aug. 2026 City Council approved a grant application that included money for more Flock cameras, over objections from two members. (Axios Houston, Sept. 14, 2026)
  4. Sept. 2026 The Texas Tribune reported Houston shut off its state-grant-funded cameras while much of its network kept running. (San Antonio Current (The Texas Tribune), Sept. 24, 2026)
  5. Oct. 16, 2026 KPRC reported HPD ran 183,252 searches of UNC Charlotte's Flock network from March through May 2026. HPD said it regularly reviews officer use. (KPRC Click2Houston, Oct. 16, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • 2022 contract approval date and vote come from a news report without a date and a pre-vote presentation; council record not pulled.
  • Number of HPD cameras switched off after the state funding order not reported.
  • Some event dates here are inferred from weekday references (such as “Tuesday”) in news reports; confirm from meeting records.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Pasadena Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
  1. July 8, 2026 A sergeant under internal investigation since May 2026 over alleged use of Flock to track a female officer resigned, per Mayor Thomas Shoenbein; his attorney disputes the allegations. He has not been charged. (ABC13 Houston (KTRK), Aug. 7, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Camera count and contract not found. Pasadena requested $141,733 in an MVCPA task force grant (2025), not necessarily for Flock.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Baytown Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
62
About 62 cameras installed under a June 2022 contract, per the Galveston County Daily News (2024).
  1. June 2022 Baytown contracted with Flock and about 62 police cameras were installed, per the Galveston County Daily News. (The Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 30, 2024)
  2. July 29, 2026 An officer under internal and criminal investigation over alleged misuse of Flock data resigned, per Chief John Stringer; results go to TCOLE and the Harris County DA. (ABC13 Houston (KTRK), July 30, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Some event dates here are inferred from weekday references (such as “Tuesday”) in news reports; confirm from meeting records.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Deer Park Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
  1. Sept. 5, 2026 Records show a detective ran 165 plate searches from December to June unrelated to investigations; he received a 10-day suspension and reassignment. Prosecutors in Harris and Fort Bend counties filed no charges. (ABC13 Houston (KTRK), Sept. 5, 2026)

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Katy Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
  1. Oct. 15, 2026 Former officer Sergio Guadalupe Rodriguez was indicted over alleged improper access to plate data from November 2024 to April 2025, reportedly to track his ex-wife. The department tightened audits in September 2025 and added automated safeguards in June 2026. (Covering Katy News, Oct. 15, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Katy spans Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties; filed under Harris.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Statewide

  1. 2023 The Legislature unanimously passed a $1 increase to the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority fee on auto insurance policies, aimed at catalytic converter theft. The Texas Tribune estimated it raised about $81 million and found at least $30 million of it went to Flock cameras (at least 3,200 cameras) through grants; sponsors Sen. Carol Alvarado and Rep. Jeff Leach told the Tribune cameras were not discussed when the bill passed. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026)
  2. July 10, 2024 DPS sent Flock Safety a cease-and-desist letter saying the company lacked the private security license required under the Private Security Act. The complaint that started the inquiry was filed by a Baytown resident. (The Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 25, 2024; The Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 30, 2024)
  3. Oct. 2024 DPS licensed Flock, whose private plate readers served homeowners associations, businesses and homes. The Texan reported Flock kept operating those cameras while licensing was pending, and that a DPS report noted a 2021 finding of unlicensed alarm-installer work without indicating any penalty. (The Texan, Oct. 10, 2024)
  4. 2025 Two 2025 bills to regulate ALPR use did not advance: HB 961 (Rep. Brian Harrison; warrant or court order, violent-crime use only, destruction of unrelated data, published policies) and HB 2083 (Rep. John Bucy; 48-hour default destruction, no sharing with the federal government, private right of action). Both were referred to the House Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs committee and got no hearing, per Texas Policy Research. The same source says Texas has no ALPR-specific statutory framework. (Texas Legislature, date not shown; Texas Policy Research, date not shown)
  5. May 2025 404 Media reported in May 2025 that a Johnson County Sheriff's Office search of Flock's nationwide network covered more than 83,000 cameras in a case involving a woman who had a self-managed abortion. Sheriff Adam King said it was about her safety, and Flock said she was sought as a missing person. EFF later obtained Flock audit logs and court records (reported Oct. 7, 2025) showing a first search of 1,295 networks (17,684 cameras) and a second of 6,809 networks (83,345 cameras), both logged with the reason "had an abortion, search for female," and an affidavit describing a death investigation of a non-viable fetus. The district attorney's office told deputies she could not be charged. (Electronic Frontier Foundation, Oct. 7, 2025; The Record (Recorded Future News), Oct. 7, 2025)
  6. Aug. 27, 2026 Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to stop funding Flock cameras; spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said state agency funds "cannot be used for Flock cameras." Some outlets date the order Aug. 27 and others Aug. 28. Existing locally funded cameras are not covered. (Texas Public Radio (The Texas Tribune), Aug. 29, 2026; The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; Dallas Express, Sept. 7, 2026; Good Good Good (The Texas Tribune), Sept. 1, 2026)
  7. Sept. 8, 2026 TxDOT stopped issuing permits for Flock and other plate readers on state roads at the governor's direction, including approved agreements not yet installed. Existing cameras, including more than 900 operated by DPS, were not affected. The Sept. 8 start date comes from a Schertz police presentation, not TxDOT. (The Texas Tribune, Sept. 17, 2026)
  8. Sept. 24, 2026 The Texas Tribune counted at least 900 Flock cameras shut off across at least 14 cities and counties since state funding ended. Dallas Express counted at least 23 local governments that ended, declined, suspended or reduced Flock use as of Sept. 6. (San Antonio Current (The Texas Tribune), Sept. 24, 2026; Dallas Express, Sept. 7, 2026)
  9. Oct. 5, 2026 The Texas Tribune reported agencies were charging large fees for Flock records or withholding them: North Richland Hills invoiced $2.3 million up front, Irving was reported charging $70,000, one agency quoted KPRC $121,000, and DPS stopped releasing search data and asked the Attorney General for a ruling. The Tribune counted 60 Texas agencies with Flock transparency portals, 16 of which publish search records. (The Texas Tribune, Oct. 5, 2026)
  10. Sept. 2026 A Lufkin police officer was sentenced to 5 years after pleading guilty to 100 felony counts of abuse of official information involving Flock searches, per the Texas Tribune. (Lufkin is in Angelina County, outside this assignment's county list.) (The Texas Tribune, Oct. 5, 2026)
  11. Oct. 9, 2026 Reps. Brian Harrison and Mitch Little said they plan to file bills to ban the devices in the session that begins in January 2027; Harris County Pct. 4 Constable Mark Herman has asked state officials to put Flock regulation on the agenda. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; FOX 26 Houston, Oct. 9, 2026)

State agencies

Texas Department of Public Safety

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
940
At least 940 DPS cameras installed as of Sept. 2, 2026, per a DPS email shared by a lawmaker (Texas Tribune). DPS told KEYE roughly 900; Rep. Brian Harrison cited over 1,000. DPS does not publish a total.
Contract
Flock Safety: $15,900,000 three-year total · from 2025 · approved by Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority 2025 · Contract between MVCPA and DPS for 1,183 proposed cameras, funded by the auto-insurance fee. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
Contract
Flock Safety: $3,000,000 one-year · from Aug. 2026 · approved by Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority Aug. 2026 · Approved for 583 more cameras on seven toll roads; status after the Aug. 27 funding order not reported. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
Contract
Flock Safety: $28,500,000 total (term not reported) · The Texas Tribune reports a $28.5 million DPS Flock contract without giving term or funding. A Tribune/Waco Bridge story cites a $26 million Flock contract approved in 2025 for state roads and Operation Lone Star; the relationship between the figures is unclear. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; KSAT (The Texas Tribune / The Waco Bridge), Aug. 3, 2026)
Data sharing
Per Texas Tribune reporting (not a DPS policy page): 206 Texas agencies had signed data-sharing agreements by July 2026; in June 2026 about 615,000 searches came from 3,075 agencies, 2,679 of them out of state. On Sept. 3, 2026, DPS said only agencies with signed agreements may search.
  1. 2025 The Texas Tribune and KSAT reported DPS cameras on state roads support Operation Lone Star and were installed under TxDOT permits. (KSAT (The Texas Tribune / The Waco Bridge), Aug. 3, 2026)
  2. June 2026 Texas Tribune analysis: roughly 615,000 searches of the DPS network in June; 48% from outside Texas; Houston police ran about 13%; DPS's own officers just under 9%; 111 searches cited immigration-related reasons. (The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
  3. Sept. 3, 2026 DPS paused new installations after the governor's funding order while keeping existing cameras in use, and limited all searches to agencies with signed agreements. (KEYE CBS Austin, Sept. 4, 2026; The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
  4. Oct. 2026 DPS stopped releasing search logs it had earlier given the Tribune and asked the Attorney General to let it withhold them; it has also challenged requests for camera locations. (The Texas Tribune, Oct. 5, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Contract amounts differ across outlets ($15.9M MVCPA contract, $28.5M separate contract, $26M 'Lone Star' contract); DPS contract documents not pulled.
  • DPS did not say how recurring Flock costs will be paid without state money.
  • Some event dates here are inferred from weekday references (such as “Tuesday”) in news reports; confirm from meeting records.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.