City Rep. Canales says El Paso Police Department will halt use of Flock cameras
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - El Paso City Representative for District 8 Chris Canales released a statement in which he says the El Paso Police Department will halt the use of Flock’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) camera devices.
Canales said he was notified by Police Chief Peter Pacillas.
The City Representative went on to add that this is a direct result of the termination of grant funding from the state government.
Earlier in the year Canales proposed that the City of El Paso not renew its agreement with Flock. He Also proposed that the city discontinue the use of networked, AI-powered license plate readers.
The proposal was unsuccessful, with City Council voting 2-6 against it.
Canales said he now believes this new decision is the correct one.
"Flock has time and time again shown itself to be untrustworthy as a company, with its system prone to misuse and abuse."
"I have many outstanding concerns about potential violations of privacy, data sharing and access, and the many scandals and negative incidents nationwide."
"For clarity, I haven’t seen these issues arise in El Paso. I understand the need for modern solutions to law enforcement, but to me, Flock was never a good solution because of these immense drawbacks and risks."
ABC-7 reached out to Rep. Canales and the El Paso Police Department for comment.
EPPD Police Chief Pacillas shared a public statement regarding the announcement on social media:
"Following the recent order by Governor Greg Abbott prohibiting state funding for Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), the El Paso Police Department has halted the use of state-funded ALPR devices.
While ALPRs serve as a critical tool that enhances investigative speed and public safety efficiency, EPPD has always operated this technology under strict oversight, limited access, and rigorous privacy safeguards. Restricting these devices shifts our work back to manual investigative methods, impacting overall response times.
The El Paso Police Department committed to providing efficient, transparent law enforcement while protecting civil liberties and exploring solutions to keeping our community safe."
