Bastrop covers Flock cameras, considers contract termination

3 September 2026.

Bastrop City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to cover its Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras while considering whether to terminate the city's contract with the company at a future meeting. The decision follows growing concerns about data privacy and access to vehicle information collected through the technology.

Mayor Ishmael Harris stated that while automated license plate readers can serve law enforcement, the city has a responsibility to protect public trust. Harris expressed concern that residents lack clarity about how their data would be stored, accessed, shared, or used by third parties. Councilmember Cynthia Meyer moved to schedule a vote on contract termination and to cover the cameras in the interim.

Bastrop joins a growing list of Texas municipalities reconsidering Flock contracts. Elgin's police department paused camera use, Robinson City Council declined to renew its contract, and Pflugerville deactivated its cameras with the school district following suit. Hood County decommissioned three cameras following community opposition. Governor Greg Abbott issued a pause on state funding for the cameras, and a poll indicated over 63 percent of Texans oppose the technology.

Residents can monitor their own city council meetings to learn whether their municipality has considered, adopted, or terminated Flock Safety contracts.

Read the original reporting: Texas Scorecard.