Voters in League City rejected the use of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras in Tuesday's general election, with 54% opposed and 46% in favor, according to election results. Under a resolution the city council approved in October, officials must remove the cameras within 72 hours of the election.
League City Mayor Nick Long said the city cannot take the cameras down because of its contract, so it will cover them with nylon bags so they cannot take pictures. He said the city is also working to get out of the contract. City officials said they will begin bagging the cameras Thursday morning. Police will then no longer collect data or share it with outside agencies. Officials said data already collected will be purged after 30 days unless it is kept as evidence in an active case.
According to a city news release, the cameras capture images of vehicles and license plates for a database that includes Texas law enforcement agencies and the FBI. League City police had 55 cameras, with 16 more in the TxDOT permitting process, according to a July release. Residents in Harris and Galveston counties have raised privacy concerns. League City is the first Galveston County city to suspend use, and two other Houston-area communities have also recently suspended use.