Conroe City Council to debate future of Flock license plate readers

HOUSTON - A growing debate over surveillance technology is dividing local governments across the Houston area, as city leaders weigh the benefits of Flock Safety license plate readers against privacy concerns and costs. While some nearby jurisdictions are expanding their use of the cameras, others are pulling the plug. 

Now, the Conroe City Council is putting the future of its own camera program on the chopping block during Thursday evening's budget discussion.

Houston-area Flock cameras: Divided approaches across the region

Big picture view:

The divide among local leaders has become increasingly visible in recent days:

• Chambers County: On Wednesday night, the Sheriff’s Office defended the technology, announcing plans to add more Flock cameras in the near future.
• City of Manvel: On Tuesday night, the City Council voted unanimously to completely remove their cameras from city streets.
• City of Willis: The City of Willis has announced they've discontinued use and shut off the Flock camera system as of September 8.

The debate in Conroe

Local perspective:

Conroe City Council members will debate whether to allocate funds in the FY 2026–2027 budget to maintain the city's Flock Safety network.

According to data from Conroe’s Flock Transparency Portal, the city currently operates more than 50 automated license plate readers. In the last month alone, those cameras scanned nearly 900,000 vehicle plates. 

The collected data is stored by the Conroe Police Department for 30 days. 

While the Conroe Police Chief maintains that the system has directly assisted officers in making several key arrests, community members and council members remain split on the program's long-term value. 

"I don't see an issue with the cameras," said Conroe City Council Member Kristin Hoisington. "I am listening to our police officers when they say that it helps them complete their work more efficiently... as a taxpayer here in Conroe, that translates to me as if I had a problem, it would be solved much faster with this tool." 

Others on the council are advocating for a step back to re-evaluate public consent and oversight. 

"Who decides how the city is watched? The people should decide that," said Council Member David Hairel. "A contract that nobody voted on five years ago other than the city council... I want to give the citizens what they're asking for, and I think this is the way to do it." 

Residents at recent meetings have also questioned the return on investment, asking city officials for specific metrics on how many hits translate directly into arrests.

What's next?

The official agenda item will be taken up during the Conroe City Council meeting, scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM on Thursday