As cities across the country reconsider the use of automated license plate reader cameras amid concerns about data sharing with federal agencies, the El Paso City Council on Tuesday is set to debate whether to follow suit.
Under its contract with the controversial Georgia-based Flock Group Inc., operating as Flock Safety, the city installed about 150 automated license plate reader cameras citywide starting last summer.
But now, city Rep. Chris Canales is proposing to let the current contract expire and is asking that the city no longer seek state funding for Flock Safety cameras or any other similar product. City Rep. Lily Limón, who co-signed to place the item on the agenda, is rethinking her stance, she said.
“Incidents in communities across the country have raised concerns about privacy, governance, and the potential sharing of data beyond local control. In a border city like El Paso, we must be especially thoughtful about how surveillance and data systems are used. In the case of Flock, I feel that the risks outweigh the benefits,” Canales said in an Instagram post shared Friday. He didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The move to end the use of the cameras comes as other municipalities in Oregon, California, Arizona and Massachusetts have cut ties with the company over concerns that it is sharing the data with other agencies, including federal immigration authorities.
Flock does not work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or any sub-agency of the Department of Homeland Security, Flock Security spokesperson Paris Lewbel said in an emailed statement to El Paso Matters.
“We’re proud of the impact Flock technology has had in helping solve crimes and locate missing persons in El Paso and across Texas. We look forward to the opportunity to answer questions from the Council and the broader community,” Lewbel said.
While Flock states it doesn’t directly contract with federal agencies for immigration enforcement, the data can still be used in federal investigations through local partnerships, according to reports, audit logs and public records compiled by the Immigration Policy Tracking Project.
Funding for the cameras comes from the state’s Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, according to a memo sent to the City Council on Aug. 25 by El Paso Police Department Chief Peter Pacillas. The Police Department received $702,500 through the grant for 150 Flock LPR Cameras for its auto theft task force. The one-year contract with Flock started May 16. The cameras are installed at locations near each police regional command center, according to the memo.
The Police Department declined to comment. But in its memo last year, the department stated that the cameras help reduce crime such as auto theft and burglaries, increase vehicle theft recovery, act as a crime deterrent and instantly notify police of stolen vehicles, reducing investigation time. The memo states the system maintains audit logs to see who has accessed the data, which aids in accountability and auditing.
Mayor Renard Johnson on Instagram Saturday said he supports the Police Department’s use of the cameras.
“I understand some residents have concerns. Our police chief has assured there is no data sharing, there has never been data sharing, license plate data is automatically deleted after 30 days, the system is used only for law enforcement purposes (and the) department has implemented comprehensive LPR policies and procedures to prevent misuse,” the post states. “It is not about tracking people. It is about solving crime and protecting our community.”
The mayor’s office pointed El Paso Matters to the post in response to a request for comment.
Flock cameras collect data and apply machine learning to the images they capture such as a vehicle’s make, model, color, area and license plate type, and any visible damage or alterations, timestamps and resident or non-resident vehicles, according to the company website.
One of the municipalities that recently terminated contracts with Flock Safety, Mountain View in California, did so after audits discovered that federal law enforcement agencies accessed Flock data through a “nationwide” search setting that was turned on by Flock Safety without the knowledge of the Police Department.
According to the company website, Flock does not own customer data but has limited access to it while providing services. The company does not maintain records of customer data “after the retention period” of 30 days, according to Flock Safety.
Flock uses Amazon Web Services, or AWS cloud storage and Key Management Service-based encryption, limiting access to the encryption keys. All Criminal Justice Information Service data is stored in the AWS GovCloud and is only available to law enforcement agencies. No CJIS data is shared with non-Law Enforcement Flock Safety Customers, according to the company’s frequently asked questions.
Though Limón co-sponsored the item on Tuesday’s council agenda, she told El Paso Matters she may not want to end the contract with Flock Safety. She said she would wait to hear what Canales discusses during the meeting.
“After very careful review I see good benefits for law enforcement. I have also been able to talk to the officer who is directly assigned to this operation and have been given assurances (about not sharing data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” Limón said in a text message.
The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority provides grants through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for various vehicle crime prevention programs.
The city has received grants for the police department’s Auto Theft Task Force since 1991. The City Council in April approved a grant application for $2 million in funding with a city cash match of about $600,000. The grant covers law enforcement detection and apprehension, prevention, anti-theft devices, reduction of the sale of stolen parts or vehicles and education programs and marketing.
It was unclear Monday afternoon if the city had received this particular grant. The majority of the funding would go toward personnel costs with about $15,000 designated for LPR camera systems, according to the April grant application. The grant application for 2026 does not specify the equipment be from Flock Safety.
The City Council meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 300 N Campbell St. You can watch the meeting live on television at City 15 or online on the city’s YouTube channel.
The post El Paso City Council may reconsider Flock Safety camera contract appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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