Two Houston-area communities could soon ask voters to weigh in on the future of Flock Safety automatic license plate reader cameras, putting a growing debate over public safety, privacy and government surveillance directly on the November ballot.
League City and Conroe are considering ballot measures that would allow residents to have a say over the use of automated license plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs. The issue comes as Flock cameras have spread throughout the Houston-area.
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League City considers advisory referendum
The League City council is set to consider an election order Tuesday, August 11 that would place a Flock camera question before voters in November.
The proposed ballot question is: “Should the League City Police Department continue using automated license plate reader cameras at fixed locations on public roadways for law enforcement purposes?”
League City Mayor Nick Long said earlier this month that he added the referendum to the council agenda to give residents an opportunity to decide whether the city should continue using automatic license plate readers.
League City currently has a contract with Flock Safety program. According to the city, the police department has used Flock Safety in 305 criminal investigations, “including homicides, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, fraud, narcotic offenses, and other Class B misdemeanor offenses.” The department also says the system has helped recover approximately $1 million in stolen property.
Conroe proposal would put the decision to voters
Conroe City Council members David Hairel and Shana Arthur are also pushing to put the Flock camera issue before voters.
Hairel announced that he and Arthur had submitted a signed request to place discussion of the issue on the Thursday, August 13 council agenda. Hairel said two council signatures were required to place the item on the agenda and that three council votes would ultimately be needed to approve putting the question on the November ballot.
In a Facebook post, Hairel framed the issue as a question of who should make the decision.
“This isn’t about whether Flock cameras are good or bad. It’s about who decides,” Hairel wrote.
Hairel also argued that privacy questions surrounding automated license plate readers cross traditional political lines, saying Democrats, libertarians, conservatives and Republicans all have an interest in the issue.
The effort comes after Hairel and Aruther moved earlier proposals concerning the city’s use of Flock cameras. Hairel and Aruther later apologized for shaveling earlier proposals.
A growing debate over Flock cameras
The potential votes in League City and Conroe come amid growing scrutiny of Flock Safety’s technology across the Houston area and Texas.
Flock cameras are designed to capture license plates and other identifying characteristics of vehicles passing a camera location. Law enforcement agencies can use the information to investigate crimes and receive alerts involving vehicles of interest.
Police agencies have promoted the system as a tool that can help solve crimes and locate suspects. But privacy advocates and some residents argue that the technology creates a large-scale record of where vehicles travel and raises questions about how long information is retained, who can access it and how data can be shared between agencies.