Round Rock City Council unanimously approved a contract with Flock Safety, a security hardware and software manufacturer, to increase the number of automatic license plate readers, or ALPRs, in the city at its meeting June 12.

Totaling $181,250, the contract provides an additional 40 cameras through the assistance of a Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant.

The history

Right now, Round Rock utilizes 30 fixed cameras through Flock. The city has used license plate readers for crime prevention for 15 years, Police Chief Allen Banks said, and the department has contracted with Flock since 2022.

However, recent local legislation in Austin has brought up concerns about the uses of the surveillance technology. The city recently decided to halt the use of ALPRs in response to negative public reactions.

“In some of these other cities there’s been some controversy about what those Flock cameras do,” Banks said. “Our Flock cameras are only giving images. It will not tell me who’s driving that vehicle.”

Despite criticisms of the technology, Banks said the license plate readers have helped in "high-profile cases" such as a shooting at Round Rock's Juneteenth celebration in 2024.

“Those cameras have been a tremendous tool for us in the investigative portion of any criminal activity for our department,” Banks said. “They’ve helped us put folks in jail that deserve to go to jail.”

The details

Of the 40 additional cameras, 30 will be mobile throughout the region, and 10 will be in fixed locations throughout the city. The Round Rock Police Department will place the fixed cameras in "high-crime areas," Banks said.

Flock's license plate reading software is able to identify vehicle information, including license plate numbers, car details and visible markings like bumper stickers. RRPD will only be able to read from the rear license plate, and will retain the data for 30 days before it purges.

"These aren't for tracking folks," Banks said at a June 10 agenda packet briefing. "It doesn't tell me if you're an illegal person here in the United States. It doesn't tell me your religion—it doesn't tell me your sex orientation. That's not what it's set up for."

In order to find information on the owner of a vehicle, police personnel would need to use an outside resource like the Department of Motor Vehicles.

What else?

Officers who utilize the Flock images have underwent training, Banks said. RRPD also administers an auditing process to ensure proper use of the technology, and are not “targeting” specific individuals.

Banks said that there are disciplinary measures in place for officers who violate the proper uses of Flock.