A push to ban automated license plate readers in Texas could block Stafford's Flock camera program before a single camera is installed.

State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst wrote in a Facebook op-ed that Texas should "Get the Flock out of Texas," arguing that automated license plate readers (ALPRs) raise Fourth Amendment concerns, KPRC 2 reported. Members of the Texas Senate are discussing an outright ban on ALPRs when the Legislature convenes in January 2027.

That timeline puts Stafford's program at risk. On Aug. 5, the Stafford City Council voted 4-1 to approve a cost-sharing agreement with the East Fort Bend County Development Authority for Flock Safety cameras in the GRID, the mixed-use development on the former Texas Instruments site. Mayor Ken Mathew and council members Bostic, Rosas and Guerra voted in favor. Mayor Pro Tem Tim Wood voted against.

The agreement called for Stafford to cover 50% of annual camera costs, with the development authority paying the rest. At a July 15 council meeting, the initial motion to direct the city attorney to execute the agreement for one year passed 4-3, with Wood and council members Herrera and Rosas voting no.

Before the cameras could go up, Gov. Greg Abbott intervened. At Abbott's direction, the Texas Department of Transportation stopped issuing permits for Flock cameras and other ALPRs along state roads, KXAN reported. The pause began around Sept. 8 and was confirmed by a TxDOT spokesperson on Sept. 17. The spokesperson said the suspension covers agreements already approved but not yet installed.

No source has confirmed whether Stafford's specific agreement is blocked by the freeze. But TxDOT's language covers approved-but-uninstalled deals, and Stafford's cameras had not been installed as of the Aug. 5 vote.

Abbott's freeze followed reporting by The Texas Tribune, published by Salon, that a state agency directed at least $30 million toward funding more than 3,200 Flock cameras statewide. The money came from a $1 auto insurance fee increase passed unanimously in 2023 to combat catalytic converter theft. An estimated 13,000 Flock cameras were operating across Texas in August 2026. Hundreds have since been shut down, according to the Tribune.

Kolkhorst has also raised concerns that license plate data combined with artificial intelligence could create broader surveillance capabilities beyond tracking individual vehicles.

Andy Kahan, director of victim services and advocacy for Crime Stoppers of Houston, told KPRC 2 that Flock data gave investigators a critical lead in the Sept. 19 shooting death of 5-year-old Zah'Layah Walton, helping authorities identify and arrest a suspect within 24 hours. The suspect was later charged with capital murder.

"It's the best witness you can get," Kahan said. "It's undisputable evidence that you were in the vicinity when the crime took place."

At Stafford's Aug. 5 meeting, public commenters weighed both sides, according to council minutes. Liza Mendonca raised concerns about Flock camera misuse, vandalism and security issues. Clint Mendonca cited a kidnapping case solved with Flock cameras but also referenced roughly 50 cases of misuse at various agencies and camera removals in other Texas cities. Stafford Police Chief Richard Ramirez also addressed the council about the agreement.

A former Katy police officer, Sergio Guadalupe Rodriguez, was charged with stalking and misuse of official information after allegedly using the Flock system to track his ex-wife, according to KPRC 2. A discovery hearing in Fort Bend County was scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30.

No Stafford officials have publicly commented on how the TxDOT freeze or the proposed ban would affect the city's agreement.