Resident urges pause on Flock plate-reader expansion, cites profiling and security concerns

During public comment on Feb. 24, Wylie resident Jared Ridgeley urged the City Council to pause expansion of any Flock license-plate reader platform until the city adopts stronger governance and technical safeguards.

Ridgeley cited Flock patents and vendor features that he said enable classification of people by race, gender, height and weight, and he raised operational and cybersecurity concerns documented in other jurisdictions. "Flock's own patent describes classifying people by race, gender, height, and weight," he told the council, and he said the vendor has a record of operational changes and data-sharing incidents elsewhere. Ridgeley recommended that Wylie adopt a written plate-reader policy, cap retention at 30 days, prohibit audio sensors, require an independent security assessment, and prevent vendor changes or data sharing without a council vote.

The mayor thanked Ridgeley for his comments; there was no substantive response from police leadership at that moment. Later on the agenda the council considered Item G, the Wylie Police Departments 2025 racial profiling analysis; following Assistant Chief Walterspresentation the council voted 6-0 to place the report on file. The public comment asking for a pause on expansion was not resolved as a formal policy decision at the Feb. 24 meeting.

Ridgeley also referenced broader concerns and past local actions or vendor issues in other cities; the council did not take action on surveillance procurement or expansion during the meeting.