Automated license plate readers, known as Flock cameras, are being utilized by police departments across the Dallas-Fort Worth area to monitor vehicles on public roads. These cameras can capture images of license plates and gather information about a vehicle's make, model, and color. They can also identify additional features such as bike racks or trailers, which assist law enforcement in distinguishing between different vehicles. In Tarrant County alone, at least 648 of these cameras have been identified.
Flock Safety, the company behind the technology, emphasizes that the cameras are designed to focus solely on vehicles and do not collect any information about the individuals inside them. They do not utilize facial recognition technology and are not intended for speed detection or issuing traffic citations.
The data collected by Flock cameras is retained for a maximum of 30 days before being automatically deleted. During this period, access to the information is restricted to police departments, which control who can search the database. Each search is logged and associated with the individual who conducted it, ensuring oversight. The information is not stored in a public database, and police departments have the discretion to establish their own policies regarding sharing this data with external entities.
As the use of these cameras expands, Texas drivers should be aware of their presence and the capabilities of the technology, particularly regarding privacy and data retention policies.
