Wylie becomes latest North Texas city to end Flock camera use

WYLIE, Texas - As more and more people express privacy concerns over Flock cameras, another North Texas municipality has decided to do away with them.

Wylie to end Flock camera use

What we know:

On Tuesday, August 25, Wylie City Council voted unanimously to end its contract with Flock Technologies, who produces Flock cameras.

Wylie currently has six Flock cameras in use, but they will cease use after the city's contract with Flock ends in October. 

The city has been using Flock cameras since August 2024, and it was paying $27,000 per year for the Flock cameras.

What they're saying:

"It was a difficult decision, I believe, for all of us, including myself," says Matthew Porter, the Mayor of Wylie.

Porter acknowledged that Flock cameras can help law enforcement agencies solve crimes, but says there aren't enough guardrails related to other agencies using the cameras.

"The protections are just not there and are not required in the terms of the existing contract."

Austin Gregory with DeFlock Wylie, a citizen-led campaign to remove the cameras from the city, tells FOX 4's David Sentendrey the cameras violate privacy rights.

"I think it's just a lot of people concerned about maybe ending up in a surveillance state," Gregory said.

The other side:

During the Tuesday city council meeting, Wylie Assistant Police Chief Tommy Walters described a list of crimes solved with Flock camera use, including a murder earlier in 2026.

"We can do more with less, because of technologies like this," Walters said.

In a statement to FOX 4 after the unanimous vote, Walters said, "It will definitely create some challenges, as license plate readers are valuable tools in helping to identify and apprehend criminals, especially those that come into town to commit crimes."

Flock camera controversy

Dig deeper:

As more and more police departments use Flock cameras to assist in solving crimes, more and more people have expressed concerns about them.

They can read license plate numbers and other vehicle details. That information is then uploaded into a database that can be accessed by law enforcement agencies.

Hood County voted to remove Flock cameras under its jurisdiction earlier in August. A Flock camera in North Oak Cliff was seen damaged earlier this week as Dallas Police have dealt with multiple Flock camera vandalism incidents this year.

Also on Tuesday night, Pflugerville, a city near Austin, voted to end its contract with the Flock cameras.

What's next:

Porter tells FOX 4 that Wylie won't rule out using Flock cameras in the future. 

The city also voted on Tuesday to hold a workshop to discuss potentially signing a new contract for Flock cameras if changes are made.