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Lawmakers added $1 to car insurance policies. That money paid for Flock cameras
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Texas lawmakers added a $1 surcharge to auto insurance policies in 2023 to fund efforts against catalytic converter theft, but a new investigation reveals the money has been diverted to a vast license plate surveillance network. An analysis by The Texas Tribune found that a state agency has spent at least $30 million of the fee revenue on installing thousands of Flock surveillance cameras across the state. The cameras, which use artificial intelligence to read and track vehicle license plates, have been placed along highways and local streets from El Paso to the Louisiana border.
The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, a state board largely appointed by Governor Greg Abbott, has used the funds to award grants to law enforcement agencies. According to the Tribune, the agency has provided at least 95 grants helping police departments purchase and maintain roughly 2,000 Flock cameras. The Texas Department of Public Safety has also received $15.9 million to add nearly 1,200 more cameras to its network. In early August, the agency approved another $3 million for 583 additional cameras on state tollways.
The authority's chair, Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez, stated his goal in an August 2023 meeting was to "cover the entire state" with the cameras. He views them as a critical tool to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and protect communities. The $1 fee has generated an estimated $81 million in total revenue, with the authority directing $50.8 million into 234 various grants aimed at combating vehicular crimes.
The Tribune's investigation tracked grants ranging from $7,000 for two cameras in Bellmead to nearly $1.7 million for 201 cameras in Dallas. Entire city networks, such as those in Laredo and El Paso, were fully subsidized by these state grants. However, the exact total spent on Flock cameras is uncertain because agency records do not itemize purchases, and 124 grants lack clear documentation.
The findings have sparked controversy. After repeated inquiries from the Tribune, Governor Abbott's office announced it is pausing all state funding for local grants used for Flock cameras. A spokesperson stated that any state agency funds are being clarified as unavailable for this purpose. This move comes amid growing backlash, with some lawmakers expressing surprise and constitutional concerns.
The bill's authors, State Senator Carol Alvarado and Representative Jeff Leach, confirmed that surveillance cameras were never mentioned during the legislative debate. Alvarado said she was surprised to learn the fee was funding AI-powered license plate readers. Representative Mitch Little questioned whether the volume of data captured complies with the Fourth Amendment. The future of the state's massive camera network now faces uncertainty following the governor's funding pause.
