End Mass Surveillance in Houston

Our Take

Credit to the Texas Civil Rights Project for doing the unglamorous work that actually moves the needle: organizing testimony training and showing up at a Commissioners Court meeting. This is how these contracts get stopped or at least slowed down — not by viral outrage, but by residents standing at a podium on a Tuesday afternoon asking pointed questions their elected officials can't dodge on camera.

Harris County's renewal is a good case study in how ALPR contracts quietly roll forward year after year with zero public debate until someone forces the issue. Flock cameras don't just catch stolen cars; they build a searchable log of everywhere a plate has been, which means everywhere a person has been — work, church, a kid's school, a protest, an ex's house. None of that requires a warrant, and most residents have no idea their county is buying into it until a nonprofit shows up with a sign-up sheet.

If you're in Harris County, this is your moment to actually have a say before the vote happens. If you're anywhere else, check our camera map to see what's already watching your block, and use our take-action guide to figure out who on your own county commission or city council needs to hear from you before their contract renews too.