Pearland City Council reviews 112 Flock Safety cameras after disabling nationwide data sharing

The Pearland City Council reviewed the city's use of Flock Safety license plate reading cameras during a special workshop on Oct. 19. The council examined how the technology is used in criminal investigations and how vehicle data is protected.

Flock Safety cameras capture still images of license plates and visible vehicle characteristics, including color, make, body style and features such as roof racks, according to city documents. The cameras alert law enforcement when a plate matches a hot list. That list can include vehicles reported stolen or connected with missing-person cases.

Pearland began partnering with Flock Safety in early 2022, and the first cameras were installed that summer, city documents show. The Police Department now has access to 112 cameras across the city. Those include 31 city cameras, 48 operated by homeowners associations, 31 operated by private entities and two Alvin ISD cameras at Shadow Creek High School.

Pearland Police Chief Derek Dunham said a hot-list alert does not by itself give an officer grounds to pull a driver over.

"The officer is still responsible for crafting probable cause to stop the vehicle. The [hot list] is not justification alone for stopping a vehicle," Dunham said.

Authorized users include officers, dispatchers and crime analysts. City documents say all must complete training and use individual logins protected by two-factor authentication.

The council conducted the review after Pearland disabled Flock Safety's nationwide data-sharing feature in September. City documents show that city officials found about 63% of searches over the previous year came from out-of-state agencies.

The department began auditing searches in mid-2023. It first conducted quarterly reviews and later moved to monthly randomized audits. Supervisors check whether searches are lawful, supported by a case number and relevant to the associated investigation, city documents show.

Two Pearland residents spoke during the workshop in support of the cameras and described them as one of several tools police use.

Several council members said they support exploring an independent, third-party audit system to prevent misuse of the technology.

"Residents have the right to know how their information is being used, and how the city is protecting their data," council member Rushi Patel said.