League City's Nov. 3 referendum on Flock license-plate cameras now carries a sharper edge after Houston police disclosed an internal investigation into officer misuse of the same system.
The Houston Police Department confirmed Wednesday, Aug. 26, that its Internal Affairs Division is reviewing certain officer usage of the Flock Safety camera network for potential policy violations, KPRC 2 reported. HPD did not say how many officers are under review but said some accounts have been placed on hold.
The disclosure comes about 10 weeks before League City residents vote on a non-binding proposition asking whether the city should continue using Flock's automated license-plate readers on public roadways.
What HPD disclosed
HPD said in a written statement to KPRC 2 that any confirmed policy violations will be handled by Internal Affairs. The department did not name the officers or describe the nature of the suspected misuse.
Houston Police Officers' Union President Douglas Griffith told KPRC 2 he believes Flock Safety's own monitoring algorithm flagged the officers based on search volume or case-number entries, then turned the information over to HPD. He said he expects most flagged usage to involve training-related issues rather than intentional misconduct.
Asked whether any flagged incidents involved potential stalking, Griffith said: "Not that we're aware of yet. I wouldn't doubt that we'd have a case or two. This job is like any other, we're going to have people do dumb things."
He noted that heavy users of the system are drawing scrutiny simply because of the volume of searches they run.
A pattern across agencies
HPD's probe follows similar actions at other departments in the region. On Aug. 14, the Harris County Sheriff's Office suspended three deputies' access to the Flock system and launched a review after KPRC 2 inquired about potential misconduct. The Deer Park Police Department also disciplined an officer.
Former Katy police officer Sergio Rodriguez was charged on or before Aug. 25 with stalking and misuse of official information, both third-degree felonies in Fort Bend County, after he allegedly used the Flock system to track his ex-wife and placed a GPS tracker on her vehicle, according to KPRC 2.
What it means for League City
League City City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to place the Flock referendum on the general election ballot alongside mayoral and council races. Councilman Chad Tressler cast the lone opposing vote. The result will advise council but will not legally require the city to keep or remove its cameras.
The city has 55 active Flock cameras, with 16 more awaiting Texas Department of Transportation permits. In December 2023, council approved a five-year agreement valued at nearly $900,000 covering 70 cameras. Police say the system assisted in 305 criminal investigations during a recent 12-month period and helped recover about $1 million in stolen property.
Mayor Nick Long cited regional misuse cases when he proposed the referendum. "The real issue is we've seen the abuses in neighboring cities … Where's the data going on the company side, and how can we protect that data?" Long said at the Aug. 12 council meeting.
Flock's response
Flock Safety announced Aug. 13 that it is reducing its recommended default data retention from 30 days to seven days, requiring multi-factor authentication, expanding audits to flag abnormal search behavior and requiring officers to enter a case number before running a search.
League City's current retention period is 30 days before automatic deletion.
No statement from League City police or Mayor Long specifically addressing the HPD investigation has been made public.
