The Dallas Police Department has significantly narrowed access to the city’s Flock license plate reader data, limiting outside law enforcement access as officials confront growing privacy and surveillance concerns.
It has cut access from more than 1,500 agencies down to 202, all of which are located in Texas. DPD has also stopped sharing its Flock data with federal law enforcement partners, department officials told the city’s Public Safety Committee this week.
The changes come as Dallas faces increasing questions about the privacy implications of automated license plate readers and how information collected by the cameras is shared and retained.
Dallas Narrows Data-Sharing Network
Dallas has used Flock automated license plate reader technology for years. The cameras photograph license plates and collect information about the vehicles passing them, including the time and location of the observation.
The department currently operates more than 600 cameras, although 321 state-funded cameras are scheduled to be canceled September 15 after Texas stopped providing funding for them. More than 300 other cameras are expected to remain in operation.
Dallas police say the technology can help investigators identify vehicles connected to crimes, locate stolen vehicles and find missing people.
At the same time, the department’s use of the system has raised concerns about how long information is retained and who can search it.
Dallas currently retains Flock data for 365 days.
Nearly 2,000 Personnel Have Access
Police officials told the city’s Public Safety Committee that searches of Dallas’ Flock system must be associated with a case number. However, nearly 2,000 Dallas police officers and city employees have approved access to the system, according to department information presented to officials.
That figure prompted questions about whether access should be more tightly restricted.
One committee member said access should be limited on a “need-to-know basis” to personnel who require the technology to perform their jobs.
The discussion also focused on whether the one-year retention period could be shortened significantly.
Police Cite Crime-Solving Results
Dallas police continue to point to the cameras’ investigative value as officials consider changes to the program.
According to data presented by DPD, Flock cameras have been identified as a factor in solving 12 Dallas homicide cases so far in 2026, compared with 15 in all of 2025. The department’s figures show the technology was associated with 14% of homicide cases solved this year as of August 24, 2026, compared with 10% in 2025.
Police also say the cameras are used in investigations involving stolen vehicles, robberies, assaults, and wanted people.
DPD has emphasized that a Flock alert by itself does not establish probable cause and that officers are required to verify information before taking enforcement action.
Flock Plans Additional Auditing
Flock Safety representatives told committee members that individual law enforcement agencies control their own data and decide which other agencies can access it.
Trevor Chandler, the company’s head of policy and public affairs, said agencies can choose whether to share information through the broader Flock network. Flock also said it is developing additional auditing tools designed to detect unusual searches and alert departments when activity appears atypical.
The company representative told the committee that the existence of a captured image does not mean police are actively using the information against someone who is not the subject of an investigation.
State Funding Changes Dallas Camera Network
The debate comes as Dallas prepares to shut down 321 Flock cameras after Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to stop funding the technology, citing privacy and Fourth Amendment concerns. DPD said the affected cameras will be canceled on September 15.
The Dallas City Council voted earlier this month against a proposal that would have removed $1.5 million in city funding for the remaining cameras. The decision means more than 300 cameras will continue operating after the state-funded devices are canceled.
The department has also published information about its Flock program, including its camera locations, data-sharing practices and audit policies.
At least 23 Texas local government entities have ended or reduced their Flock camera usage in recent weeks, The Dallas Express reported.
The future scope of the network, its retention policy, and additional restrictions on access remain under discussion as Dallas officials weigh the technology’s investigative benefits against concerns about privacy and potential misuse.
