Dallas police will turn off 321 Flock license-plate cameras on Sept. 15 after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to stop paying for the technology, the department said Tuesday.
In a statement posted by the Dallas Police Department, officials said they received notice Sept. 1 that cameras supported by affected state grant money are no longer eligible for that funding. To comply with the governor’s directive, those 321 cameras will be canceled. The department said more than 300 Flock cameras paid for by the city will remain in use across Dallas.
The cameras scan license plates and can alert officers to vehicles tied to stolen plates, warrants or other investigations. Dallas has 684 Flock cameras citywide, according to The Dallas Morning News, which cited the department’s online transparency portal.
Today, September 1, the Dallas Police Department received official notification regarding the impact of the State of Texas’ directive on grant funding used to support Flock Safety cameras.
— Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) September 1, 2026
As a result, 321 Flock cameras currently supported through affected state grant funding… pic.twitter.com/hfBbwWwHw6
Police say the remaining network is still an important tool. “These cameras remain an important investigative tool and are used daily by detectives and officers to develop leads, identify vehicles associated with criminal activity, and assist in solving crimes,” the department said. According to the transparency site, as reported by The News, Dallas police credit Flock cameras with helping solve 12 homicide cases through Aug. 24 — about 14% of the department’s homicides to that point.
The Dallas City Council approved a three-year, $5.7 million Flock contract in May 2025. The News reported that nearly $1.7 million of that deal was tied to a grant from the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, a state agency funded largely by a fee on auto insurance policies. Abbott’s office has said all state agency funds are covered by the pause, announced last week amid growing scrutiny of Flock over alleged misuse and privacy concerns.
The cut does not end the debate in Dallas. City Council member Adam Bazaldua said he plans a budget amendment to strip $1.5 million in city Flock funding, with $1 million proposed for sidewalks and street lighting and $500,000 for eviction-advocacy support, KERA News reported. Dallas Police Association President Sean Pease told FOX 4 the cameras have boosted the department’s suspect-finding rate by about 20% this year.
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