Bastrop moves to immediately cover city's Flock cameras as vote to terminate contract looms

Our Take

Bastrop didn't wait for a final vote to act — council members ordered every Flock camera in town covered up the same night they set a course toward full decommissioning. That's a rare and telling move. Most cities let these contracts quietly auto-renew for years while residents have no idea their drives are being logged. Bastrop's council apparently decided the risk wasn't worth another day of operation, even temporarily, while the termination process plays out.

Credit to KXAN for tracking this story as it develops, because these reversals matter far beyond one small Texas city. Every town that walks back a Flock contract chips away at the industry talking point that ALPR networks are inevitable infrastructure, like streetlights. They're not. They're vendor contracts, renewed or killed by elected officials who answer to the people whose movements are being archived. Bastrop's council just reminded everyone that the off switch exists and can be flipped fast when enough people ask.

If you want to know whether your own city is running Flock cameras — and whether a contract is up for renewal you should be watching — check our camera map, then use our take-action guide to push your council toward the same kind of vote Bastrop just took.