Conroe police are investigating alleged death threats and harassment against city council members following a vote against putting Flock camera use on the November ballot.

Conroe police have opened an investigation after city council members reported receiving death threats and harassing phone calls in the days following a vote over the city's Flock license plate reader cameras.

The council voted against placing a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot that would have let Conroe residents decide directly on the city's continued use of the cameras. Within days, at least two council members said they and their families had been targeted.

Councilmember John Sellars said he received a death threat over the phone and that his wife was the target of harassing calls to her cellphone. In a statement, Sellars said he has no issue with residents disagreeing with him and noted that anyone unhappy with the council's decision has the right to pursue a recall.

"My position is pretty simple: if you want to put something on the ballot, show the public support and collect the signatures," Sellars said. "That's what our firefighters were required to do, and I believe they were successful. Everybody ought to play by the same rules."

Sellars drew a line between political opposition and threats against his family. "What I won't shrug off is the recent death threat made to me by phone and the harassing calls made to my wife's cellphone," he said. "Political disagreement is fair game. Threatening someone or dragging their family into it isn't."

Councilmember Ken Blevins said he received similar threats and would not change course because of them. "There is a line that should never be crossed," Blevins said. "Disagreeing with a councilman or mayor is politics. Directly threatening one's life and repeatedly harassing their spouse is not politics. It's unacceptable. The Conroe I know is better than that."

Blevins said he intends to keep serving on the council despite the threats. "I'm not going to be intimidated, and I'm not going to stop doing what I believe is right for the people of Conroe because someone disagrees with me," he said.

The dispute over Flock cameras has divided Conroe residents for months. Opponents argue the license plate reader system raises privacy and surveillance concerns and have pushed the city to remove the cameras altogether. The council's rejection of a ballot referendum on the issue intensified that fight, with some residents invoking a separate, unrelated push by city firefighters to get a collective bargaining measure in front of voters.

Sellars and fellow councilmember Kristin Hoisington said they do not believe firefighters or union members had any involvement in the threats. Sellars instead said he believes people opposed to the Flock cameras are responsible, though he did not name individuals or groups.

Residents active in the anti-Flock camera movement rejected any connection to the threats. Joseph Sinn, a Conroe resident pushing for the cameras' removal, said he understands the frustration many residents feel toward city leaders but said threats and violence have no place in the debate.

"We don't condone violence," Sinn said. "I'm not going to be violent. I got six kids at home."

Sinn said the fight over the cameras has turned into something bigger than the technology itself. "Now, it's evolved. It's no longer about Flock," he said. "Now, it's about whether or not the city council represents the city or not."

The FBI's Houston field office said it is aware of the allegations against Conroe officials and has offered to assist Conroe police if needed. Conroe police have not announced any arrests or named suspects, and the investigation remains open.

The council's decision leaves no city-wide vote on the Flock camera program scheduled for November. Any future ballot effort would need to follow the same petition process used by Conroe firefighters, collecting signatures rather than relying on a council referral. Conroe police have not set a timeline for concluding the threat investigation.