The Carrollton City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to renew the city’s agreement with Flock Safety, approving a three-year automated license-plate reader contract worth up to approximately $1.19 million.
The Dallas Express reported that the agreement covers as many as 82 cameras and supporting software, with annual spending authorized up to $398,258.34. The city currently operates 67 Flock cameras. Officials described the new agreement as a consolidation of four existing contracts, with no new services or additional funding required.
Council Member Richard Fleming cast the sole opposing vote. Fleming said he supported cameras at city entry and exit points but raised concerns about cameras located within Carrollton. He also indicated support for allowing voters to decide whether the system should operate throughout the city.
Supporters cited criminal investigations and efforts to locate missing people. Mayor Pro Tem Daisy Palomo and Police Chief Roberto Arredondo defended the system as a public-safety tool. Police officials told the council that they had not identified misuse in Carrollton, that searches are audited, and that officers must provide a case number.
The department says camera data are automatically deleted after 30 days unless connected to an active investigation. Those safeguards reflect the city’s account of current practice. Residents nevertheless raised questions about privacy, cybersecurity, data sharing, public oversight, and the possibility of misuse during more than an hour of public comment.
Hannah Foust of DeFlock Carrollton said residents had filed more than 50 public-records requests. According to her account cited by the Dallas Express, she received invoices totaling about $2,000, while another resident received an estimate exceeding $32,000. Those figures are attributed to the resident and do not independently establish whether the charges were legally required or ultimately paid.
The vote comes as other Texas cities reconsider Flock systems. Gov. Greg Abbott has paused state-agency funding for the cameras. Carrollton officials said the city has not used state funding for its Flock contract since 2024.
The public-integrity issue extends beyond whether the technology assists police. The three-year commitment also raises questions about audit access, retention controls, interagency sharing, records costs, and the public’s ability to verify compliance. Carrollton’s 6-1 vote keeps the system in place while making the city responsible for demonstrating that stated safeguards work in practice.