The Dallas Police Department has deactivated 321 cameras in its Flock license plate reader network after the state of Texas withdrew grant funding for the system. According to a report by FOX 4 on September 25, approximately 300 locally funded readers remain active and continue to collect vehicle data.
The department had previously listed a total of 684 cameras in a September 8 briefing, meaning the current active count is an estimate rather than an exact inventory of the remaining hardware.
Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux is scheduled to meet with the CEO of Flock during the week of September 28. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss measures to prevent the misuse of the system, though specific proposals have not been identified in available records.
The shutdown of the 321 cameras means these specific units no longer generate new vehicle sightings or alerts, but the deactivation does not confirm that previously collected records have been erased.
In a March presentation to the Public Safety Committee, officials stated that each camera costs $3,300 annually. At this rate, restoring the 321 disabled units would cost approximately $1.06 million per year. This figure serves as a benchmark rather than a current quote.
While the city council previously authorized a broader $5.74 million contract with Flock through June 2028, reviewed records do not show a formal request for replacement funding or an appropriation to restore the lost coverage.
The department credited the Flock network as a primary factor in solving 12 homicide cases in 2026 and 50 business robberies, representing about 13% of those incidents. A separate January recovery of a stolen Mercedes was also attributed to a Flock alert. These statistics reflect the performance of the broader network rather than the specific 321 cameras that are now offline.
