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Flock Safety makes case for license‑plate network; committee hears praise and privacy concerns from residents
Summary
Flock Safety representatives described the company’s license‑plate reader network and how Houston law enforcement uses it; council members praised successes while public commenters raised concerns about oversight, search justification and immigration enforcement access.
Hector Soliman Valdez, director of municipal engagement for Flock Safety, presented a company overview and local program summary to the City Council Public Safety Committee on Oct. 15, describing Flock as a public‑private license‑plate reader and public‑safety platform used by Houston police and local districts since 2021.
Valdez said Flock’s devices and software are owned and controlled by customers, that the company does not sell location data, and that the default retention period for imagery and reads is 30 days (which jurisdictions can shorten or lengthen). He told the committee the company is SOC‑2 and SOC‑3 compliant, that its devices are NDAA‑compliant, and that Flock is integrated with national partners such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Valdez said the Houston network is substantial: Flock launched locally in 2021 and, he said, more than 40 local…
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