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Residents press council on camera program and HB1631; mayor says city will not become a 'surveillance city'
Summary
Public commenters asked whether the city's Flock cameras and license-plate readers were consistent with HB1631 and raised broader privacy and surveillance concerns; Mayor Stanley provided camera counts and said Amarillo would not adopt any program that jeopardizes residents' freedoms, and staff offered to follow up with detailed information.
During public comment, residents raised questions about the city's use of Flock video cameras and license-plate readers and whether those systems complied with HB1631.
"Do these cameras according to you violate this bill?" asked resident Cassie Green, referring to HB1631 and the city's item on safer streets and roads. The mayor and staff offered to provide more detail offline.
Mayor Stanley responded with statements of fact and policy. He said the city had roughly 80 Flock cameras in public high-traffic areas and approximately 80 license-plate readers, and that the city's safer-streets grant work focuses on physical safety improvements such as speed cushions, sidewalks and school-zone work. "We as a council and Amarillo will never go along with an Agenda 2030. We're never going to become a surveillance city," he said.
Staff and the mayor said they would follow up with resident questions about the legal implications of HB1631 and provide more detailed information outside the public meeting.
