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College Station council hears hours of public comment on Flock license-plate readers
Summary
At a council workshop, police and a Flock representative described local benefits from automated license-plate readers while dozens of residents and security researchers raised privacy and cybersecurity concerns; council treated the item as an information workshop and did not take action.
College Station city leaders spent much of their July 23 meeting on an informational workshop about the city's deployment of Flock automated license-plate readers (ALPRs), hearing a detailed police presentation and about an hour of public comment both for and against the cameras.
Chief Couch told the council the department has 75 Flock cameras in service and described how the system is used: cameras capture rear images of vehicles, convert license-plate images to searchable text and alert officers when a scanned plate matches an entry in criminal databases. "We scan 25,438 per day. We search less than 10," he said, arguing the system supports targeted investigations rather than constant surveillance. He read examples in which the system generated leads in stolen-vehicle and missing-person cases.
Speakers from both sides of the debate addressed the council during a crowded public-comment block. Supporters, including College Station Police Officers Association representatives, said the cameras have helped recover stolen cars and locate missing people. Opponents and independent researchers urged the council to halt expansion or cancel the contract, citing reported security flaws, broad interagency sharing and the potential for mission creep. One critic said published vulnerability reports and recent contract terminations nationwide justified a moratorium. Council members emphasized that the workshop was for information and asked staff and police to continue monitoring usage, audits and contract terms. No vote was taken on the item.
What happens next: staff and legal will continue to brief council on policy, contract terms and any new evidence of misuse or cybersecurity concerns; the council signaled it expects to revisit the matter with possible policy refinements if needed.
