Dallas could turn off all 684 of its AI-powered Flock cameras if the City Council signals support for cutting another $1.5 million in funding for the license plate readers, potentially ending the city’s contract for the technology altogether. The proposal comes amid a broader debate over the us e of technology as a police investigative tool and concerns about privacy and access to data. Dallas City Council member Adam Bazaldua, who is pushing for the funding cut, said his concerns are not tied to any alleged incidents involving the technology in Dallas. Instead, he is concerned that agencies outside Dallas and Texas could access the city’s data without enough oversight to address privacy concerns. “My argument is there are other products out there for us to still embrace technology and still give the police department adequate tools to solve crime that doesn’t require us to be part of a mass network and allow for our network to be accessed from other people,” Bazaldua said. Most of Dallas’ 684 Flock cameras were installed within the past year after the city approved a $5.7 million contract funded through a combination of state and city money. That funding is now uncertain after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies five days ago to stop funding Flock. Dallas police said this week that the change will result in 321 Flock cameras being turned off in two weeks. As NBC DFW first reported Monday, Bazaldua said his amendment to remove another $1.5 million in city funding would essentially terminate the Flock contract altogether. Dallas resident Azael Alvarez said the city should consider both the technology’s reported effectiveness and concerns surrounding its use. “DPD says Flock works. We should take that seriously, but if we’re going to spend 1.5 million on this technology, we should take the other side seriously too,” Alvarez said. Dallas police have pointed to Flock cameras as a primary investigative tool in solving 13% of the department’s business robbery cases and 12 homicides this year. Those results are among the points Dallas police are preparing to present to a City Council committee next week as the department outlines the benefits of Flock cameras. Police said they would hold off on commenting about the potential impact of losing city financial support until after the council indicates whether it wants to move in that direction. The council is expected to signal its position later Wednesday, ahead of a budget vote in two weeks. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication. ...read more read less