Bastrop cancels Flock contract
The short version: Bastrop, Texas pulled the plug on its Flock Safety contract, proof that sustained public pressure can actually unwind an ALPR deployment.
Our Take
Credit to KXAN for covering this one, because cancellations don't get nearly the airtime that ribbon-cutting press releases do. Bastrop's city leaders didn't just quietly let a contract lapse — they voted to end it after the kind of scrutiny Flock Safety has been drawing across Central Texas and the country. Mayor Ishmael Harris's comments in the piece are worth a watch for anyone trying to figure out what actually moves a city council on this issue.
What makes Bastrop notable is that it runs against the usual script. Flock's sales pitch leans hard on "it's already approved next door, so why not here too," and most municipalities never revisit the decision once cameras go up. A reversal shows that elected officials can be made to answer for a surveillance system with no warrant requirement, a vendor-controlled national database, and audit trails that communities are routinely told to just trust. That accountability doesn't happen by accident — it happens when residents show up, ask hard questions, and make the contract renewal politically costly.
Every city weighing a Flock deal, or already locked into one, should be watching towns like Bastrop instead of just the marketing materials. Check our camera map to see what's already been installed near you, and if you want to push your own council toward a vote like this one, our take-action resources are a good place to start.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of KXAN, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.