Texas Governor Abbott blocks state funding for Flock surveillance cameras

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies to freeze funding for Flock Safety's AI-powered surveillance cameras. The decision follows revelations that a state agency, the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, used a $1 auto insurance fee intended to combat catalytic converter theft to build a $30 million surveillance network of over 3,200 cameras. The freeze comes amid bipartisan backlash over warrantless surveillance and multiple criminal cases involving Texas police officers misusing Flock data to stalk individuals.

Abbott funding freeze order

• ▪Democratic gubernatorial candidate Representative Gina Hinojosa released an advertisement accusing Governor Greg Abbott of turning Texas into a surveillance state through the spread of Flock Safety cameras
• ▪Governor Greg Abbott's spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris stated that Texas state agencies are clarifying that their funds cannot be used for Flock Safety cameras
• ▪Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered all state agencies to pause funding for Flock Safety surveillance cameras on August 27, 2026

Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention

• ▪The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority is led by a board consisting of a Department of Public Safety official and six members appointed by Governor Greg Abbott
• ▪The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority approved $3 million in early August 2026 to help the Texas Department of Public Safety install 583 additional cameras along Texas tollways
• ▪The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority has awarded at least 95 grants to help local law enforcement agencies purchase and maintain approximately 2,000 Flock Safety cameras
• ▪The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority has helped state and local law enforcement agencies install at least 3,200 Flock Safety cameras since 2023

Flock surveillance network expansion

• ▪Flock Safety spokesperson Trevor Chandler stated that the company's national lookup program helped locate over 10,000 missing persons in 2025
• ▪The anti-surveillance watchdog group DeFlock has identified approximately 13,000 Flock Safety cameras operating in the state of Texas
• ▪The Texas Department of Public Safety is installing nearly 1,200 Flock Safety cameras under a three-year, $15.9 million contract with the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority

Legislative intent discrepancies

• ▪The Texas Legislature unanimously passed a law in 2023 adding a $1 fee to auto insurance policies to combat catalytic converter theft, which has raised an estimated $81 million
• ▪Texas Representative Brian Harrison stated he would not have voted for the 2023 insurance fee bill had he known the funds would be used for Flock Safety cameras
• ▪Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado and Representative Jeff Leach stated that surveillance cameras were never discussed when the 2023 auto insurance fee legislation was considered

Police misuse criminal cases

• ▪At least six police departments and sheriff's offices across Texas have recently placed officers on leave, investigated, or criminally charged them over Flock Safety camera data misuse
• ▪A Lufkin, Texas police officer was indicted on August 24, 2026, on 100 counts of misusing public information for allegedly using Flock Safety cameras to surveil 11 people

Privacy concerns bipartisan backlash

• ▪Texas municipalities including Austin, Bandera, and Hood County have canceled their Flock Safety contracts in response to public uproar and privacy concerns
• ▪Texas Representative Mitch Little stated that the sheer volume of information captured by Flock Safety cameras is not supported by the Fourth Amendment
• ▪Republican U.S. Representative Keith Self proposed federal legislation in July 2026 requiring federal agencies to obtain warrants before accessing Flock Safety camera data

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