Manvel Police Defend 16 Flock Cameras After Mayor Dan Davis Calls for Ending Contract

Manvel police are pushing back against their own mayor, defending a network of license plate reader cameras that Mayor Dan Davis wants to shut down over data privacy and cybersecurity worries.

The Manvel Police Department issued a statement this week addressing concerns Davis raised publicly last Friday about the city's contract with Flock Safety, the company whose automated license plate readers are used by police departments across the Houston area and beyond. The department said it takes the mayor's concerns seriously but stands behind the technology as a tool that helps officers solve cases faster.

"MPD supports the responsible use of technology when it helps our officers investigate crime and protect the community," the department said in its statement. "At the same time, we understand the concerns that can come with this type of technology, particularly when it comes to privacy, access, data sharing and accountability. Those are concerns we take seriously as well."

Manvel currently runs 16 Flock cameras around the city. The department was careful to note what the cameras are not: they capture license plates only, provide no live video feed, and don't function as general surveillance cameras. Officers use the system to identify stolen or wanted vehicles and to develop leads in cases where they might have only a partial plate number or a rough time and location to go on.

"The system can save officers and investigators a significant amount of time, especially in cases where identifying a vehicle would otherwise require hours of reviewing surveillance footage or conducting additional follow-up," the department said.

To back up its case, the department pointed to a recent monthly audit covering July 19 through August 18. During that stretch, Manvel police personnel ran 138 searches through the Flock system. The department reviewed every one of those searches and said it found no indication that any officer misused the tool.

The audit also led to changes. The department said it cut the number of outside agencies that can access Manvel's camera data by 149, and now shares information only with law enforcement agencies in Texas and Louisiana. Every user has an individual login, and searches must be tied to a specific case number and a stated law enforcement purpose, according to the department. Data is held for 30 days under current settings, longer if it becomes relevant to an active investigation.

"Having access to a law-enforcement tool is one thing; making sure it is being used correctly is just as important," the department said.

The department drew a line, though, around what falls under its authority. Questions about Flock's corporate cybersecurity setup, how the company handles data company-wide, or the specific terms of its contract with the city are matters for city leadership and the city council, not day-to-day police administration, the department said.

Still, the department was blunt about the operational cost of losing the cameras. "Losing the cameras would mean losing a useful investigative tool," the statement read. "There are cases where ALPR information can give an investigator a lead in a matter of minutes that might otherwise take significantly more time and manpower to develop. Removing that capability would not prevent us from investigating crime or protecting the community, but in some cases it could make that work more difficult or time-consuming."

Davis first raised his concerns publicly last week, telling a reporter that his objection isn't to license plate reader technology in general but to Flock specifically, the company behind it and how it handles data across its broader platform.

"My concerns are specifically with Flock as a company, the broader platform it has, data practices, how they aggregate and share data. The questions I have are around the security of the system," Davis said.

Davis said a Flock representative could not answer specific questions he asked about security vulnerabilities in the system, a response he called concerning. He said community feedback, budget pressures and questions about data security had led him to oppose keeping the contract in place.

"I believe we can embrace technology and support law enforcement while still demanding strong safeguards," Davis said.

Davis said he intends to ask Manvel city council members to vote on ending the Flock contract and removing the cameras from the city. A public discussion on the matter is scheduled for an upcoming September city council meeting, where the council will decide whether the cameras stay or go.