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Resident warns council the city’s 'flock' cameras risk privacy and error
Summary
At the March 31 Bandera City Council meeting, resident John Farenthold urged councilors to end a $17,000 surveillance-camera contract, citing license-plate misreads, a Toledo settlement and risks that pan-tilt cameras could be upgraded to track people.
John Farenthold, a resident who identified himself during public comment, urged the Bandera City Council to end what he described as an existing $17,000 contract for 'flock' cameras, warning that the devices do more than capture license-plate images and carry risks of misidentification and misuse.
Farenthold cited national examples of errors and settlements and described technical capabilities in the city’s cameras. "The Condor camera, which you have one of, which is the pan zoom tilt camera, has AI to zoom in, not only on the vehicle, but also on humans," he said, adding that upgrades could enable biometric features without additional local approval. He warned of cybersecurity risks, automatic updates and data-sharing practices and asked the council to "end the flock contract" to protect residents’ privacy.
