Council approves more Flock Safety cameras after heated privacy debate

The Grand Prairie City Council voted 8–1 to approve a contract amendment to add four additional Flock Safety license-plate readers after more than an hour of public comment and council discussion.

Anna Sparkman, a retired teacher who said she was representing neighbors, told the council the cameras pose a civil-liberty risk: "We are being promised safety, but in reality, our fundamental 4th Amendment rights are being compromised." She cited national reporting and civil‑liberties groups alleging misuse of LPR systems.

Several other residents, including software developer Sean Sparkman, described documented misreads and false alerts and urged the city not to expand the system. "If a ZIP code is recognized incorrectly, a package goes to the wrong house," Sean Sparkman said, arguing that errors can lead to dangerous confrontations.

Police Chief (unnamed) defended the technology as an investigative tool and described local safeguards: "Within 15 minutes, the officers had that baby back in the arms of her mom and the suspect in custody," he said, retelling a national case to show how plate-data led to a rapid recovery. He also said Grand Prairie maintains data for 30 days and that the department has instituted weekly spot audits of searches by supervisors.

Mayor Pro Tem Johnson moved to approve item 4 as presented; the motion was seconded by Council member Adams and carried by a vote of 8 in favor and 1 opposed. Council directed the public-safety committee to meet with the chief and bring back a report on what PIDs (property-owner improvement districts) can and cannot do with camera data.

The vote does not change the city’s stated limit on retention (30 days) or the chief’s policy of auditing searches, but it authorizes the contract amendment requested by the Form Estates PID to permit four additional cameras at neighborhood entry points. Councilman Shatwell signaled he would vote no, citing concerns about neighborhood access to data.