League City Flock camera vote: What Proposition A means for police use and privacy

League City, TX - League City voters are weighing the future of police license plate reader cameras as early voting begins, with both candidates for mayor acknowledging concerns about how information collected locally can be accessed outside the city.

Proposition A asks whether the League City Police Department should continue using automated license plate readers at fixed locations on public roadways.

Police say the technology helps investigators identify vehicles connected to criminal cases and locate missing people. The debate centers on how to preserve those benefits while protecting drivers’ information from misuse.

What we know:

The city manages 55 Flock cameras, according to a written response from the League City Police Department. Police also have access to 23 cameras managed by homeowners associations and six managed by private businesses, bringing the total within the department’s jurisdiction to 84.

The department says its annual contract with Flock is $175,000.

The cameras collect still images of vehicles and license plates, vehicle characteristics, and the date, time and location associated with a vehicle passing a camera. Police say the system does not record audio or video or use facial recognition.

Department policy limits retention of vehicle metadata to 30 days unless it is preserved as evidence in a criminal or administrative investigation. Records documenting users’ searches are maintained separately and are not subject to that 30-day limit.

What Proposition A says

The proposition reads:

A vote for the proposition supports continued use. A vote against it expresses opposition to continued use.

Although the question is nonbinding, Long says City Council has adopted a resolution committing to act on the result if voters reject the cameras.

"We have already voted on city council that if the vote is no, we will have the cameras bagged or disabled within 72 hours of the certification of the vote," Long told FOX 26.

That timeline begins after the election results are certified, rather than immediately after polls close.

What they're saying:

Long and Crews, who are competing for mayor in the Nov. 3 election, both described the cameras as useful law enforcement tools. Both also acknowledged that local safeguards do not resolve every concern about outside agencies’ use of the information.

Long pointed to a citizen audit committee and efforts to tighten restrictions on outside access.

"And so I'm not quite convinced yet we have figured out how to stop the abuse from other agencies into our system," Long said. "We are working with the committee and with Flock to tighten that down."

Long said the cameras have helped police investigate serious crimes and locate an abducted child. He argued that the city can preserve those benefits while strengthening privacy protections.

Crews said maintaining public trust requires addressing both safety and privacy.

"And so, right now, we can't say that public privacy and public safety are competing goals, because they're not," Crews said. "We need to be able to do both. And we need to be able to do it where we maintain all the public trust along the way."

Asked what he would tell a voter concerned about someone outside League City misusing access, Crews acknowledged he could not offer a complete assurance.

"I would say you're correct that they can, and I'd like to put your mind at ease about it, but that would just be me just trying to placate you," he said.

What safeguards are in place?

The department’s automated license plate reader policy, revised Aug. 19, requires personnel to be trained and authorized before using the system. Every search must include an associated case or event number.

The policy prohibits using the system for personal reasons, civil matters, Class C misdemeanor offenses or purposes unrelated to an authorized law enforcement function.

An administrator approves outside agency access and authorizes data sharing. The policy also requires supervisory reviews, audits by the Office of Professional Standards every 30 days, and quarterly audits of operator accounts.

Officers must verify alerts before taking enforcement action.

The policy also says information collected by Flock cameras installed within Texas Department of Transportation highway rights-of-way is automatically transmitted to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s license plate reader system every 24 hours.

What we don't know:

The department’s written response describes its internal safeguards and approval process for outside access. It does not fully explain how League City monitors information after another agency obtains it or what restrictions govern subsequent use of transferred records.

Police also did not specifically address what would happen to previously collected data if voters reject continued camera use. The department said it would follow City Council’s direction.

There is also a discrepancy in the annual cost provided to FOX 26. Long described a $120,000 annual obligation during his interview, while the police department’s written response lists an annual contract of $175,000. The information provided does not explain the difference.

What happens if voters say no?

Long says the city can cover or disable the cameras while addressing any remaining contractual obligation.

Crews questions whether the resolution’s language conflicts with the existing agreement. He said a provision protecting existing agreements could complicate the city’s promise to take down the equipment.

He wants the city to work through canceling the contract and clearly explain what residents should expect.

"So we just need to have better transparency and just let the citizens know this is what you can expect," Crews said.

Long disputes that the contract would prevent the city from disabling the cameras, saying the city would pay the remaining obligation if necessary.

Those are the candidates’ differing interpretations of how the resolution and contract would operate.

League City Police Department’s full response

The department declined an on-camera interview and provided the following written answers:

How many cameras does the department currently operate, and at what annual cost?

The City manages 55 Flock cameras. LCPD also has access to 23 cameras managed by homeowners associations and six managed by private businesses, for a total of 84 cameras within its jurisdiction. LCPD’s annual contract with Flock is $175,000.00.

What information do they collect, and how long is it retained?

Flock ALPR cameras capture still images of vehicles and license plates, vehicle characteristics, and the date, time, and camera location associated with a vehicle’s passage. The system does not record audio or video or use facial recognition.

Department policy limits retention of ALPR vehicle metadata to 30 days unless preserved as evidence in a criminal or administrative investigation. Preserved evidence is managed under applicable Department policy and state law. User activity and audit records are maintained separately and are not subject to the 30-day vehicle-data retention limit.

Who can search the data, which outside agencies have access, and how is that access approved? How are searches audited, and what safeguards address unauthorized use?

Department personnel must be trained and authorized before using the system. Every search requires an associated case or event number. Personal use, civil matters, Class C misdemeanor enforcement, and other unauthorized purposes are prohibited.

The ALPR Administrator is responsible for approving external state, regional, and local law enforcement agency access and authorizing sharing with those agencies. The Department’s transparency portal (referenced below) identifies organizations granted access to LCPD data and organizations sharing data with LCPD.

The policy also provides that data from Flock cameras installed within TxDOT highway rights-of-way is transmitted to the Texas DPS ALPR system every 24 hours.

Supervisory reviews are required each shift the assigned lieutenant is on duty, and the Office of Professional Standards (OPS) conducts audits every 30 days. The policy also requires quarterly audits of all operator accounts. Discrepancies or violations are referred to OPS for review under the Department’s internal investigation procedures. Officers must verify hotlist alerts before taking enforcement action.

Can you provide documented examples and statistics showing how the cameras have helped investigations?

There are numerous documented examples cited on the League City Police Department’s Flock Transparency Portal: https://transparency.flocksafety.com/league-city-tx-pd

Also, I have attached the Department’s ALPR policy.

If voters reject continued use, what would change operationally, and what would happen to previously collected data?

LCPD follows the decisions and policies set forth by the City Council. As such, LCPD will follow the Council’s direction and implement any policy changes it decides to make following the vote this November on the proposition regarding the use of Flock license plate reader cameras.

What's next:

Early voting runs through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Voters can review the proposition and election information on League City’s elections website. Polling locations and schedules are available through Galveston County elections and Harris County elections, depending on the voter’s county of residence.