One Collin Co. city votes end use of Flock cameras

Our Take

CBS Texas reports that the Wylie City Council voted unanimously, 7-0, to shut down its Flock Safety camera program. A unanimous vote is rare in any local government, and it signals that concerns about these networks aren't a fringe issue — council members across the political spectrum are starting to ask the same hard questions about cost, efficacy, and who really controls the data these cameras collect.

This matters because Flock's pitch to cities is almost always the same: a few cameras to catch stolen cars and violent offenders, with promises of tight access controls. But once the hardware is installed, the footage, the search logs, and the vague 'public safety' justification tend to outlive the original sales pitch. Wylie pulling the plug is a reminder that these contracts aren't permanent fixtures — they're policy choices that can be reversed when residents and council members actually scrutinize them instead of rubber-stamping renewals.

Every city that walks back a Flock deployment makes it a little easier for the next one to do the same. If you want to see what's already watching your own streets, check our camera map, and if you'd rather your city follow Wylie's lead than expand its network, our take-action page has the tools to get started.