League City to hold referendum on Flock cameras

11 August 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]

League City City Council will consider an ordinance at its August 11 meeting to call a special election referendum scheduled for November 3. The vote would allow residents to decide whether the League City Police Department continues operating Flock automated license plate reader cameras within city limits. Mayor Nick Long, who sponsored the council vote, said resident feedback about Flock camera abuses in nearby cities including Houston and Pasadena prompted his action.

The League City Police Department began installing Flock cameras along major roadways in December 2022. At least 55 cameras are currently operational, with another 16 in the Texas Department of Transportation permitting process. Since July 2025, the cameras have assisted in 305 criminal investigations and helped recover approximately one million dollars in stolen property, according to police. The department shares data with the FBI but not with U.S. Border Patrol or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Captured license plates are retained for 30 days before automatic deletion. If approved by voters, a referendum to remove the cameras would require the city to terminate existing Flock Safety contracts and remove the equipment. If voters choose to keep the cameras, the city plans to implement enhanced privacy protections and establish a citizen-led advisory committee to oversee data handling policies.

If the council approves the referendum call, League City would become the first city to hold such a vote since updating its charter in 2025 to permit special elections. The move may position the city among the first in Texas to let voters decide on automated license plate reader use. Conroe tabled a similar referendum motion in July without scheduling a future vote. Residents can monitor their own city's ALPR camera contracts and renewal schedules by reviewing city council agendas and requesting police department technology agreements through public records requests.

Read the original reporting: Community Impact Newspaper.