An anti-theft fee tacked onto Texas auto insurance policies quietly became the funding engine for a statewide Flock license plate camera network, according to a Texas Tribune investigation published Friday. The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority directed at least $30M in grants toward the build-out, and more than 3,200 cameras have been installed since 2023. The Department of Public Safety’s share alone exceeds 1,200 units under a contract valued above $15M.
Governor Greg Abbott issued a funding freeze for the cameras Thursday night, with his office confirming the pause a day later. Spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said state agencies were clarifying that their money cannot be used for Flock purchases, though federal funds would not be affected.
The fee behind the network began as a 2023 measure adding $1 to every auto insurance policy in the state to deter catalytic converter theft. The bill cleared both chambers unanimously, and lawmakers did not discuss license plate readers before it passed.
Each Flock camera logs vehicle characteristics such as make, model, color, bumper stickers and dents, and departments that join the company’s national lookup program can search one another’s records. Misconduct reports have grown alongside the network. Prosecutors say a Lufkin officer used the system to monitor 11 people for more than a year, leaving him with 100 counts of public information misuse, and at least six Texas departments have announced contract cancellations in the past month.
Abbott described the situation as easily containable in a Friday radio interview and predicted the network would shrink dramatically through cancellations and criminal cases. Flock Safety said it supports “thoughtful legislation” with privacy guardrails. Republican Rep. Keith Self has separately pushed a federal warrant requirement for Flock data since July.
