Manvel City Council voted unanimously on September 8 to end the city’s contract with private surveillance firm Flock Safety and to remove funding for the system from the fiscal 2026‑27 budget. Mayor Dan Davis declared, “These cameras are so much more, this company is so much more than just license plate readers, and they have no place in the city of Manvel. It’s time to deflock Manvel.”
Why the contract was cancelled
Flock Safety’s cameras capture images of vehicle license plates and store the data for seven days. The information can be searched and shared with law‑enforcement agencies. While the technology was originally presented as a simple license‑plate reader that alerts officers to stolen vehicles or wanted persons, council members and residents learned that the system also includes AI‑driven vehicle attribute searches, national network access, and broader data‑sharing capabilities that were not disclosed at the time of approval.
Mayor Davis explained that the city’s understanding in 2024 was limited to basic alerts. “We learned about extensive data sharing with outside agencies, broader search capabilities beyond simply reading license plates, AI‑powered vehicle attribute searches, national network access and other tools and uses that were never part of my understanding when I voted for the system,” he said.
Immediate actions taken
Following the vote, all 16 Flock cameras operating throughout Manvel were covered, and city staff gave Flock a 30‑day notice of cancellation. The Manvel Police Department also shut off external agency access to the city’s camera feed.
Regional context
Neighboring municipalities continue to use Flock’s automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) system. Pearland operates 112 cameras, and Friendswood runs 36. Pearland’s 2024 police report credited Flock with recovering ten stolen vehicles worth about $320,000, while Pearland’s internal tracking shows nearly $2.3 million in recovered stolen vehicles since 2022.
In Pearland, analysts can search for vehicles by make, model, color, and body style, and receive alerts when plates match law‑enforcement hot lists. The department disabled Flock’s nationwide data sharing in September after discovering that about 63 % of searches over the previous year originated from out‑of‑state agencies. Monthly audits, requiring a case number for each search, have found no misuse since they began in 2023.
Council’s next steps
During the September 8 meeting, council members discussed alternatives to the Flock system. Councilmember Harry Opliger suggested hiring a human police data analyst to evaluate local crime trends, while Councilmember David Lands floated the idea of building a city‑owned ALPR system that would keep data under municipal control.
Mayor Davis emphasized the need for clear policies before adopting any new technology. “I am particularly interested in solutions where the city maintains control of its data. Whatever option comes forward should have clear policies, retention limits, audit requirements, cybersecurity standards and council oversight established before implementation—not afterward,” he said.
Davis also called on the Texas Legislature to establish statewide guardrails for ALPR technology, including limits on data retention, strong cybersecurity standards, and transparent rules for AI use on public roadways. “Texans should not have to give up reasonable expectations of privacy simply because technology makes mass collection and analysis possible,” he added.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Houston — read the source article.
