Texas AG says Conroe must release records it withheld about Flock Safety cameras

The city of Conroe must release information it withheld in response to a nine-page open records request about Flock Safety cameras, the Texas Attorney General's Office said in an opinion issued last week.

James Fletes, who submitted the request March 16 and crowdfunded $1,271.60 in 24 hours to pay for the information, is pushing the council members to terminate its contract with Georgia-based Flock Safety and remove more than 51 cameras around the community.

While the city initially released some of the information Fletes requested, it has withheld some, citing confidentiality. According to the attorney general's office, while the city could withhold some sensitive information, it was required by law to release basic information.

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Fletes said he considered the AG opinion a "win" in transparency.

"The city has fought me on almost every page," Fletes said, adding that 23 pages of what he originally received were completely blacked out. "That's not transparency. That's not how somebody with nothing to hide acts."

Fletes' extensive request included the city's contract with Flock Safety, council action, policies, city emails related to the cameras, camera location and records of searches and data pulls in connection with political demonstrations in the city.

More than 6,000 communities and 5,000 law enforcement agencies across 49 states use the Flock Safety system, according to the company's website. This nationwide public-private safety network encompasses over 80,000 to 100,000 cameras, automated license plate readers and other surveillance devices.

Despite public concerns, leaders are expanding the camera networks around the Houston area. In December, The Woodlands Township Board of Director agreed to add 30 more cameras around the community and the Harris County Commissioners Court voted in May to renew the county's contract with Flock Safety through June 2027. 

The city of Conroe has been using the Flock Safety system since 2020.

Since submitting the request, the debate over the use of the cameras has heated up. Fletes launched a petition on Change.org to cancel the contract, garnering 1,278 signatures as of Tuesday.

Fletes said his concern is that the cameras do more than just capture license plates.

"This is a sophisticated surveillance system connected to a nationwide network. This means that every time we drive through Conroe, our movements could be tracked and cataloged, compromising our personal privacy," Fletes said.  "The potential for misuse of this data is significant and worrisome, particularly when the community has not been properly informed or consulted on the matter."

However, Conroe Police Chief Jon Buckholtz said the cameras used by the city are not AI surveillance and only capture license plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color; date, time and location the vehicle was captured, Buckholtz said during a presentation to council in June.

"They are designed to identify vehicles involved in criminal activity," Buckholtz said. "They are not used for traffic enforcement; they are not used to issue speeding tickets and they are certainly not used for facial recognition."

Buckholtz said the cameras also do not identify vehicle occupants, there is no audio recording or continuous video surveillance, no monitoring of private property, the cameras do not collect personal information and do not record public protests.

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The data captured by the cameras has several layers of protection, Buckholtz said, including encryption, audit logs, user accountability and access monitoring. Flock retains the data for 30 days before the data is automatically deleted and cannot be recovered.

The department uses cameras in various investigations, including stolen vehicles, wanted suspects, missing persons, Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts, thefts, violent crimes, burglaries, and hit-and-run fatalities.

Since August 2025, the Conroe Police Department has arrested 202 people with outstanding warrants; Flock played a role in 84 of those cases, Buckholtz said. Additionally, between Jan. 1 and June 10, the cameras identified 553 people with warrants, 166 stolen vehicles driving through the community and 38 missing persons.

While the department collaborates with other local law enforcement agencies, such as the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, he said the department does not use the information for immigration enforcement and does not share the data with any federal agencies.

The city council is set to discuss several issues regarding Flock cameras during its regular meeting Thursday, including establishing a citizen-led advisory committee to study the city's use of the cameras and to determine whether the use of the cameras can be placed on the ballot for public approval.

Mayor Pro Tem John Sallars responded to Fletes' online petition and agreed the issue needed "a thorough, transparent, and public discussion."

"The committee's purpose will not be to defend the system or to attack it. Its purpose will be to gather facts, hear testimony from all sides, and provide city council with independent recommendations before any long-term policy decisions are made," Sellar's statement read. "I believe our community deserves more than slogans from either side of this debate. We deserve facts. We deserve transparency. And we deserve a process that gives every resident confidence that this important decision was made openly and thoughtfully."

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