Lesley Briones’ Decision Affects 48 Security Cameras and 13 License Plate Readers Installed in Nine County Parks and Facilities
Harris County Precinct 4 left 61 Flock Safety cameras out of service on Thursday, October 8, 2026, after Commissioner Lesley Briones ordered them deactivated and covered due to concerns about residents’ privacy and access to the information collected.
The measure affects devices installed on properties under Precinct 4 control. It does not represent the deactivation of all Flock cameras operating in Houston or elsewhere in Harris County.
48 Security Cameras and 13 License Plate Readers Were Taken Out of Service
The 61 devices were distributed across nine parks and facilities in Precinct 4. Of that total, 48 were security cameras and 13 were automatic license plate readers, known by the acronym ALPR for Automatic License Plate Recognition.
Briones ordered that all be covered and taken out of operation. In her statement on October 8, the commissioner confirmed that the precinct’s cameras were already out of service.
License plate readers use cameras and software to record information about the vehicles that pass in front of them. Depending on the system, records may include the license plate number, the state where it was issued, vehicle characteristics, date, time, and location.
Police agencies use this information to search for vehicles related to investigations. However, the readers can also record cars that are not linked to any crime.
Briones Questions Data Access and Improper Searches
The decision followed residents of Precinct 4 expressing concerns about how the surveillance network was functioning.
Among the issues raised are external agencies’ access to the records, the provider’s authority to disclose information, improper searches conducted by authorized users, and the retention of data downloaded after the original records expire.
Briones argued that public safety also requires protecting residents’ privacy and that of their families. Although recognizing that cameras can be useful tools, she deemed it necessary to act while conditions of use and oversight are reviewed.
Flock Safety’s license plate reader policy states that the data collected belong to the client entity and that it determines with whom to share them, in accordance with applicable laws and policies.
The company also establishes a default seven-day retention period, which can be modified according to the provisions applicable to each client. That policy does not by itself determine how long copies downloaded by authorized users can be retained.
The Measure Does Not Shut Down the Entire Houston Flock Network
Briones’s order is limited to devices installed on Precinct 4 properties. Cameras belonging to other authorities, private companies, or entities using Flock technology are not included in this decision.
Nor has a general ban on license plate readers in Harris County been announced.
The scope of the measure is relevant because different agencies and organizations may operate surveillance devices under different contracts and policies. A single commissioner’s decision about installations in her precinct does not automatically alter the operations of those other entities.
Precinct 4 Will Work With Law Enforcement Authorities on New Oversight Rules
Briones announced that she will continue working with residents, other members of the Commissioners Court, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the County District Attorney’s Office, and the precinct sheriffs to evaluate the conditions under which this technology could be used.
The review will aim to establish oversight mechanisms and restrictions on the use of surveillance systems by law enforcement authorities.
For now, Precinct 4 has not announced a date to adopt new rules, nor has it detailed what will happen to the records previously collected by the deactivated devices.
The 61 devices included in the order have remained out of service since October 8, 2026.
Related: Flock Cameras in Houston: How License Plate Readers Work and Why They Raise Concerns.
