Hood County Constable John D. Shirley posted on Facebook Saturday that he’s shutting down Flock cameras countywide to end “warrantless tracking” of citizens “just going about their day.” Flock cameras record vehicles as they pass by and capture the license plate, vehicle description, ti me and date. Flock cameras have become a bipartisan issue in North Texas, with opponents citing concerns about data misuse and privacy loss. Many police agencies, meanwhile, argue the cameras are critical investigative tools. Shirley’s post included the caption, “Today is a good day for the freedom of the people of Hood County,” and messaging that he shut down the Flock cameras in the county that had been “constantly scanning and recording regular folks just going about their day.” “That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society. By unplugging and covering them, we’re making it clear: privacy isn’t optional, and mass surveillance isn’t how we do things here,” Shirley wrote in his post. Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds told NBC 5 that Shirley asked the Hood County Commissioners Court if he could cover the three cameras in the county and the court allowed him to do so because they had “canceled the contract” with Flock because Flock did not install new cameras. Deeds said he had no other comment on the matter. Many police agencies, including the Dallas Police Department, said the AI-assisted cameras are critical investigative tools. More than 650 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras are installed across Dallas. There’s growing public opposition, though, and dozens of cameras in Dallas have even been vandalized. In 2022, Grand Prairie Police credited the cameras with helping find the driver who led police on a chase that killed Officer Brandon Tsai. Critics across the political spectrum have called for tighter rules on their use or their complete removal. Last week, the company moved to increase oversight after reports of police misuse. The company is also changing the default retention period for people’s movement data. Flock has waived most of the costs associated with replacing vandalized cameras in Dallas. The issue is also drawing attention in Washington, D.C. North Texas Congressman Keith Self has introduced legislation that would limit how federal agencies can access license plate reader data, saying privacy deserves greater protection. To see a crowd-sourced map of Flock cameras in your community, visit DeFlock.org. Based in Atlanta, Flock Safety started in 2017 and creates public safety technology marketed to law enforcement agencies, homeowner associations, and business owners. Flock cameras lone star politics 22 hours ago Flock Camera changes Dallas Aug 4 Growing concerns over flock safety cameras Law enforcement Aug 4 What to know about Flock cameras ...read more read less