TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — Travis County commissioners have rejected a proposal that would have placed more cameras on public roads that police say can help solve crime.
Members of the Rob Roy on the Creek Homeowners Association (HOA) asked the County if they could use public roads to put up license plate readers operated by a company called Flock Safety.
The cameras work by snapping photos of license plates and uploading them to a database. If the plate is linked to a crime or open investigation, the system alerts law enforcement.
The HOA president for that area said they've seen an increase in crime in their neighborhood in recent years.
"We've had two home break-ins in the past year, things stolen from cars/trucks, thousands of dollars worth of items. We've had a suspicious van going back and forth while kids were playing. People don't feel safe, and that's just a fact," HOA President Diane Hern said.
Commissioners were concerned about allowing private groups to use public roads for surveillance purposes.
"The item we're being asked to vote on today is create a new precedent of private surveillance device in a public right-of-way and I can't support that," Commissioner Brigid Shea said.
While the Travis County Commissioners Court shot down the recent proposal, many other HOAs in Central Texas already use the Flock license plate readers.
The KVUE Defenders previously reported that, as of mid-November 2022, at least 12 agencies and cities in the 12-county KVUE viewing area use the license plate readers. But there is no requirement to inform the public about the use of these cameras, pushing advocates to call for the state to regulate their use.