TX Governor Greg Abbott Halts Funding for Flock Cameras - News Radio 1200 WOAI

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies to pause funding for Flock Safety cameras, citing privacy concerns over the AI-powered license plate readers that cities across the state have deployed.

Abbott's office clarified that most of the funding for these cameras flows from the federal government, not state coffers. A spokesperson told Fox News Digital that cities are increasingly walking away from their Flock contracts on their own, driven by public pushback that has spread well beyond Texas.

For people in Lubbock, the question is whether the city has any active Flock camera contracts and what this pause means for those agreements. Flock cameras are typically mounted along roadways and in parking areas, scanning license plates and flagging vehicles tied to criminal investigations or stolen car reports. Supporters argue the cameras help law enforcement locate suspects faster. Critics say the passive, continuous collection of location data on ordinary drivers crosses a line.

Abbott's spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris noted that cities, not the state, are the primary operators of these cameras in Texas, which puts real decision-making power at the local level.

The federal government funds most of what Texas cities spend on Flock cameras, meaning a shift in Washington's priorities could reshape this debate faster than any governor's order.