HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Two different law enforcement agencies say they are either reviewing or have disciplined employees for misuse or potential misuse of the Flock camera system.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says it has suspended three deputy’s access to the Flock system and launched a review of their activities after a reporter inquired about potential questionable use of the system by the deputies.
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The sheriff’s office says on Friday, they were contacted by a reporter from USA Today asking about potentially questionable uses of the system by the deputies, which led to the review.
“Any policy violations revealed through these reviews could result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Any evidence of potential criminal wrongdoing will be provided to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges are appropriate,” the sheriff’s office said.
The announcement comes as the system has come under scrutiny from lawmakers, civil liberty advocates, and citizens across the country as concerns arise about privacy and potential abuses of the system.
Deer Park PD disciplines officer
Also announced on Friday, the Deer Park Police Department says it has disciplined an officer after an internal organization audit found the officer had violated policy by misusing the Flock system.
“The officer’s actions violated the department’s standards for the authorized and appropriate use of law enforcement technology. The Deer Park Police Department takes the responsible use of surveillance tools seriously. Upon learning of the violation, the matter was promptly investigated, and substantial disciplinary action has been taken in accordance with department policy. Maintaining the community’s trust is fundamental to our mission. Residents of Deer Park and city leaders expect that technology will be used lawfully, ethically, and only for legitimate public safety purposes. This agency is committed to accountability, and reinforcing safeguards to help prevent similar incidents in the future. This includes reviewing policies, reinforcing training, and ensuring continued oversight of all authorized system users. We recognize that public confidence is earned through our actions. The Deer Park Police Department remains committed to protecting both public safety and the privacy rights of the community we serve,” the department said in a statement.
The department also said because of the investigation, it has created a full transparency portal with Flock, which can be found here.
Flock cameras and HCSO
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says in total, it manages 20 Flock Safety license plate reader networks with a combined total of 480 cameras.
“The owners of these networks are primarily municipal utility districts, neighborhood associations, and similar entities that have designated HCSO as their system administrators. Flock’s cameras focus solely on vehicles and license plates, not people. The technology does not identify individuals, analyze faces, or utilize any form of biometric data,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office says it is utilizing new privacy, accountability, security, and transparency safeguards announced by Flock earlier this week. One of those new tools is an auditing tool that flags potential misuse.
“Since 2022, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has used Flock technology to protect our community. The license plate readers have thwarted kidnapping attempts, led to the quick apprehension of armed robbery crews, and helped recover countless stolen vehicles,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “But as with any powerful new public safety tool, this technology is subject to abuse. We are committed to showing our community that the Harris County Sheriff’s Office can be trusted to use this technology appropriately, and that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. Any deputy who abuses the public trust will be held fully accountable, both professionally and criminally.”
In addition to implementing the new auditing tool, the Sheriff’s Office will also now require deputies to provide a descriptive case code for all license plate searches.
“Only authorized law enforcement personnel with approved access can view or search HCSO Flock camera data. All access is logged to promote accountability and responsible use. HCSO policy states that license plate reader data may only be accessed for legitimate law enforcement purposes,” the sheriff’s office said.