Flock Safety cameras that monitor traffic in The Woodlands face new scrutiny after Willis shut off its own Flock network Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Willis Mayor William Brown announced the suspension on social media, saying the system had "been discontinued and shut off until further notice." Brown said the Willis City Council will review the program to decide whether the cameras return. He called public safety a top priority but said the city must ensure its tools are reviewed and residents' concerns are heard.
The suspension is not a permanent cancellation. The cameras will stay dark until the council acts, and the city said it will release more information as the review continues, according to KPRC 2.
Willis sits in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office operates its own Flock cameras in The Woodlands. No statement from the sheriff's office or The Woodlands Township on the Willis suspension has appeared in public records as of publication.
Other communities pulling back
Willis is the third Houston-area community to move against Flock in recent weeks.
On the same day as Brown's announcement, the Manvel City Council in Brazoria County voted unanimously to cancel its Flock contract, giving the company 30 days' notice and immediately covering its cameras to stop recording, Houston Public Media reported. Manvel Mayor Dan Davis cited concerns about Flock using anonymized data to train its artificial intelligence systems and about other agencies' ability to access Manvel's camera data.
In Magnolia, also in Montgomery County, Police Chief Kyle Montgomery said he would not renew the department's Flock contract when it expires in October, citing privacy concerns, a tight budget and limited camera use in a low-crime community, according to KPRC 2.
Gov. Greg Abbott has also halted certain state funding for Flock cameras, leaving cities and counties to decide whether to keep paying on their own.
What the cameras record
Flock Safety cameras are automated license plate readers. They capture images of passing vehicles and record plate numbers, vehicle descriptions, locations and timestamps. Advocacy groups estimate more than 13,000 Flock cameras are installed across Texas, according to an Aug. 24 Houston Public Media report.
Flock has responded to the pressure by shortening its default data retention from 30 days to seven, requiring a case code before any search and adding an "Evidence Mode" limited to active investigations.
At the Manvel meeting, Flock senior director of public affairs Trevor Chandler said municipalities control which agencies can access their data. He said Manvel had not opted into Flock's nationwide data-sharing feature. Houston Public Media reported that Flock did not respond to a separate request for comment on either city's decision.
What's next
The Willis City Council has not set a date for its Flock review. Woodlands-area residents can watch for Willis council agendas and for any response from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office regarding its local Flock program.
