Texarkana residents urge city to disable Flock cameras

Flock Safety is one of the nation's largest providers of AI-enabled street cameras and automated license plate reader systems. The technology captures images of vehicles and license plates and stores information that can be accessed by authorized agencies.

Opponents of the cameras pointed to reports of security vulnerabilities and broader concerns about the collection and storage of personal data. They also cited growing resistance to the technology in communities across the country.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Flock Safety has faced increasing backlash, with dozens of municipalities reconsidering or ending agreements over concerns related to privacy and data use. The newspaper reported that about 50 cities have canceled contracts with the company.

"When you combine wide open security flaws, dark web access, and the psychological impact of mass surveillance on our citizens, you get a system that doesn't protect the public; it endangers it," resident John Salvaage told council members.

Another resident, Colton Lankford, urged council members to reject what he described as an expansion of routine surveillance.

"Once liberty is surrendered, it is rarely reclaimed without great difficulty," Lankford said. "This council has the authority to decide whether our city will take another step toward routine government surveillance or whether it will affirm that the privacy of law-abiding citizens still matter."

Texarkana is not alone in debating the use of automated license plate readers. Communities including Troy, New York; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Lockhart, Texas, have faced similar disputes over the technology and its role in public safety.

While courts have generally found that license plate readers do not violate privacy rights or Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches, civil liberties advocates argue that legal standards have not kept pace with advances in surveillance technology.

Groups such as Deflock, which opposes the expansion of automated license plate reader networks, contend that widespread camera deployments can enable the tracking of individuals' movements and create risks if data is misused or improperly secured.

City officials have not announced whether they plan to modify or suspend Texarkana's agreement with Flock Safety.