North Texas college students are speaking out against Flock Safety's license plate reader cameras across campuses.
The pushback comes as Flock Safety and other companies that sell similar surveillance technology face broader scrutiny in Texas and elsewhere.
Here's what to know
Students at multiple colleges across Dallas-Fort Worth are questioning the presence of Flock cameras and other automated plate-reading systems on campus, according to the Dallas Observer. These systems scan passing vehicles so police can identify plates associated with felony warrants, stolen cars, or other reported crimes.
The University of Texas at Dallas has 13 Flock cameras on campus. Its police department says officers are notified when a scanned license plate matches a vehicle of interest. UTD, which has more than 30,000 students, is also the only college in the region with a Flock transparency portal that shows recent detections, searches, and data-sharing activity.
Other campuses use comparable tools in different ways. Southern Methodist University relies on Verkada plate-reading technology through both campus police and parking services, while the University of North Texas Police Department started using Flock cameras in January 2023 and now operates 15 in Denton and two in Frisco.
What's being done?
The Texas Civil Rights Project held a "No ALPR Week of Action" to raise awareness around the state.
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For many students, the issue is not whether the cameras might help solve crimes but how much power the technology creates and how easily it could be abused.
The Houston Public Media reported that on Aug. 23, a Fort Bend police officer was charged with using Flock cameras to stalk a woman for at least five months.
At UNT, director of university communications Melisa Brown told the Dallas Observer that the campus systems are not connected to databases containing names, addresses, or other personal identifiers. She also said the data is encrypted and restricted to certain officers.
The Dallas Observer also reported that Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux described the cameras as a "great tool" for public safety.
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