The Dallas Police Department announced Tuesday that it will shut down hundreds of Flock cameras after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) directed state agencies to halt funding for the automated license plate readers, citing concerns over privacy and Fourth Amendment rights.
“Three hundred twenty-one Flock cameras currently supported through affected state grant funding will no longer be eligible for that funding,” a DPD spokesperson said in a statement. “To ensure compliance with the Governor’s directive, the Department will cancel those cameras effective September 15, 2026.”
The move will not eliminate Flock’s presence in Dallas entirely. More than 300 Flock cameras will remain operational throughout the city, according to the department, because some cameras are funded by federal grants unaffected by Abbott’s directive.
The DPD emphasized that the remaining cameras are an important investigative tool used by officers and detectives to develop leads, identify vehicles associated with criminal activity, and help solve crimes.
“The Dallas Police Department will continue evaluating available resources and technology to ensure our officers and detectives have effective tools to support investigations and enhance public safety,” the department spokesperson said.
Abbott ordered Texas state agencies last week to stop funding Flock cameras as cities and counties across the state have begun reassessing their use of the technology.
Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said most funding for Flock cameras in Texas comes from the federal government rather than the state.
“Almost all Flock cameras in Texas are used by cities, and those cities are increasingly canceling their contracts with Flock,” Mahaleris said. “To the extent that cities get any funding for those cameras, most of it comes from the federal government. To the extent any funding comes from Texas agencies, those agencies are clarifying that those funds cannot be used for Flock cameras.”
Abbott has also defended the decision as a response to growing concerns over how the cameras are being used.
In a Friday interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck, Abbott described the cancellations and restrictions as part of a broader “crackdown” on Flock cameras in Texas.
“What Texans deserve, they deserve clarity about how these cities and counties are using them,” Abbott said. “Citizens are concerned about their Fourth Amendment rights. They have to be protected. Their privacy must be protected.”
The governor’s action comes as scrutiny of Flock’s technology grows in Texas and beyond.
In April, a Lufkin, Texas, police officer was indicted on 100 counts related to the alleged misuse of Flock data. Other Texas cities have also begun reconsidering their use of the technology.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Florida Department of Transportation blocked automated license plate reader cameras from being installed throughout the state highway system.
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Flock cameras have also become a political issue in Texas’s 2026 gubernatorial race. Democratic gubernatorial challenger Gina Hinojosa released a digital ad Tuesday accusing Abbott of allowing a mass-surveillance network to spread across the state.
“Welcome to Texas y’all, where we celebrate freedom from big government,” the ad says, before warning that 10,000 Flock cameras are “reading your plate, logging where you sleep and pray.”