City of Taylor terminates contract with Flock Safety
City of Taylor ends Flock contract
The City of Taylor said they are removing controversial license plate readers
TAYLOR, Texas - The City of Taylor is removing all of its Flock cameras and terminating their contract.
Dig deeper:
The city said they had a contract with Flock Safety to maintain eight license plate readers on Hwy 79 and Hwy 95 since late 2023. The city said the license plate readers were bought with the expectation that the cameras would help solve crime.
The Taylor Police Department determined the use of the Flock cameras was "far less than anticipated and their usefulness has not been realized in solving crime."
The city said they were also not happy with data security and protection measures by Flock Safety.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: More Central Texas cities drop Flock cameras
More and more Central Texas communities are following suit in dropping the use of Flock cameras. Though some argue they are an invaluable tool for law enforcement.
What they're saying:
"With the recent loss in confidence in the Flock Safety program, its discontinued use in other departments, and the lack of benefit to our community, we do not believe it is worth continuing our agreement with Flock," said Taylor Police Chief Joseph Chacon. "We may revisit the use of Automated License Plate Readers in the future should data security concerns be addressed."
What's next:
The eight cameras in Taylor have been disabled and will be removed in the coming days as part of the termination process.
The Source: Information from a City of Taylor statement on Nov. 2