Source reporting: Texas Scorecard
A Kingsville police officer resigned after an internal investigation found thousands of automated license-plate reader searches that investigators said were conducted for personal purposes, according to Texas Scorecard. The outlet reported that Officer Gabriel Garcia left the department on July 31, the same day officials confronted him about the activity.
Texas Scorecard said department records showed 5,283 searches in the Flock database by Garcia, compared with 3,477 searches by 26 other department users combined. The report also cited audit research involving Axon’s separate license-plate reader platform, where individual plates were reportedly searched hundreds of times. According to the outlet, Garcia repeatedly searched four plates between June 21 and July 25, often using categories associated with city planning or traffic analysis.
The article said the plates were connected to public officials in nearby Bishop. An investigating police captain reportedly found no criminal cases involving those officials and concluded that the activity was personal rather than tied to authorized law-enforcement work. Those conclusions are reported allegations from the department’s investigation, not findings from a court proceeding. The investigation ended August 28, and Texas Scorecard said a misconduct report submitted to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement listed an indefinite suspension as the disciplinary action.
The case raises a concrete public-integrity question about how Texas law-enforcement agencies monitor access to surveillance databases. Automated license-plate readers can record vehicle locations and identifying details at large scale, making audit controls and purpose restrictions central to preventing misuse. The reported activity also shows why agencies need clear access rules, routine log reviews, and meaningful consequences when searches lack an official basis.
The resignation follows broader scrutiny of Flock systems in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott paused state funding for the cameras in August, while several local governments have debated contracts and privacy safeguards. The Kingsville matter adds an operational example to that policy debate: even when technology is purchased for legitimate policing, public accountability depends on whether agencies can detect and address unauthorized use.