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Updated May 7, 2026
Manvel, Texas — As of May 7, 2026, Manvel has followed through on a decision that started with a Sept. 8 City Council vote. The council unanimously canceled Flock Safety's license plate reader contract, pulled the company's funding from the fiscal 2026-27 budget, and began dismantling a surveillance system that had only been in place since 2024. All 16 cameras were covered shortly after the vote, and police shut off outside agencies' access to Manvel's camera feed.
Mayor Dan Davis framed the move as a straightforward privacy issue. "It's time to deflock Manvel," he said. He also tried to keep the focus on balance: "Supporting our police department and asking difficult questions are not mutually exclusive. Public safety and personal privacy must go hand in hand."
Davis said his original support for Flock was based on a narrow understanding of the technology. He thought the cameras were simply license plate readers that would alert officers when a stolen vehicle or a subject from a law-enforcement hot list passed through town. That changed, he said, once the city learned about broader search functions, AI-powered vehicle attribute searches, and access to a national network.
"We later learned about extensive data sharing with outside agencies, broader search capabilities beyond simply reading license plates, AI-powered vehicle attribute searches, national network access and other tools and uses that were never part of my understanding when I voted for the system," Davis said.
Keith Traylor, who was Manvel's police chief when the cameras were acquired, argued that the system had real investigative value. "This technology does not replace police officers, detectives, good police work or traditional investigative techniques," Traylor said. "It's another tool, but it is a tool that provides investigators and officers with information at a time when minutes can matter."
Manvel is not the only city in the region that signed up for Flock. Pearland has 112 cameras; Friendswood operates 36. Their public records show why the systems remain popular with police. Friendswood's 2024 annual report credited Flock with helping recover 10 stolen vehicles worth about $320,000. Pearland's internal tracking shows nearly $2.3 million in stolen-vehicle recoveries since 2022.
Lyndall Baker, a crime analyst for Pearland police, notes that Flock does not perform facial recognition. "It doesn't do facial recognition. The system cannot identify or search for people," Baker said. The cameras capture images of every passing vehicle, and Flock's AI analyzes the images for license plate, color, and body style. Analysts can compare those attributes with witness descriptions or surveillance footage and build a more complete picture of a vehicle's movements.
Flock Safety describes its own technology on its website as a way to help "authorized users find relevant evidence for investigations without compromising safety and compliance." That language did not convince Manvel resident Stephanie Baird. "Flock cameras ... are ultimately tools of the surveillance state," Baird said at the meeting. "These cameras ... can identify your vehicle by make, model, bumper sticker and track your entire journey."
Pearland has added checks to its Flock program. It disabled the company's nationwide data-sharing feature after discovering that about 63% of searches on Pearland cameras over the previous year came from out-of-state agencies. Searches now require a case number, and monthly audits review who searched, what was searched, and why. Baker said no misuse has been found since the audits began in 2023.
Manvel's council wants to go further. At the same Sept. 8 meeting, council member Harry Opliger suggested hiring a police data analyst to study local crime trends instead of relying on vendor-supplied alerts. Council member David Lands proposed exploring a city-owned and city-operated ALPR system, which would keep data under Manvel's direct control.
Mayor Davis said he is not ready to commit to another technology without stronger safeguards. "I am particularly interested in solutions where the city maintains control of its data," he said. "Whatever option comes forward should have clear policies, retention limits, audit requirements, cybersecurity standards and council oversight established before implementation — not afterward."
Davis also said state lawmakers need to do more. He wants limits on data retention, clear cybersecurity standards, and rules governing how AI can be applied to information collected on public roadways. "Technology is advancing faster than many of our laws and policies," Davis said. "Texans should not have to give up reasonable expectations of privacy simply because technology makes mass collection and analysis possible."
The practical steps have already been completed. City staff sent Flock a 30-day cancellation notice, covered the cameras so no additional images would be captured, and switched off external agency access to Manvel's feed. The budget vote also ensures no new Flock spending will appear in the city's fiscal 2026-27 plan.
For other cities weighing similar contracts, Manvel offers a clear example of a mid-contract exit. Pearland and Friendswood continue to justify their programs with recoveries and audits, while Manvel's council decided that the privacy costs were not worth the convenience of a private camera network.
No replacement vendor has been chosen, and Manvel appears comfortable waiting. Davis said the city needs to define its investigative needs first, and only then select a tool that comes with policy protections already built in. "The next step," he said, "must be one the public can trust."
