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Flock cameras used by the Bastrop Police Department are now covered as officials move toward ending the city’s contract with the license plate reader company.
What happened
During a Sept. 1 workshop, council members directed staff to immediately cover all 12 city-owned Flock cameras and to bring the contract back to the dais Sept. 8 for a vote.
Council also rejected a proposal to form an ad hoc committee that would have studied the cameras and their local impacts.
The update
The move marks a shift from the city’s earlier plan.
As previously reported, city officials were considering additional safeguards for the system.
During an Aug. 25 workshop, Bastrop Police Chief Vicky Steffanic said the department had not experienced misuse or misconduct involving Flock and outlined additional transparency measures for going forward.
Later that evening, residents still urged council members to decommission the cameras entirely—citing potential for misuse and privacy concerns.
"Sometimes we learn something that causes us to change direction," Harris said Sept. 1. "And that's not weakness, y'all, that's the process ... and my responsibility as mayor isn't to win this argument, it's to help Bastrop get the decision right."
What they're saying
Harris said license plate readers can benefit law enforcement investigations, but raised concerns about overall access to residents’ information.
"I trust our police department, but good policy cannot depend entirely on trusting that every person, every agency, and everywhere that information might become accessible would always do the right thing," he explained.
Looking ahead
Council will meet Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1311 Chestnut Street in Bastrop, to continue discussions and potentially take action.
The agenda packet shows city staff recommends the decommissioning of all city-owned Flock systems and ending or declining to renew the contract with Flock.
Notable quote
"Questioning Flock doesn't mean being anti-police, supporting Flock doesn't mean somebody doesn't care about your privacy, and wanting it removed doesn't mean somebody doesn't care about public safety," Harris said. "Public safety isn't our only responsibility—public trust is as well.”
