Hood County Constable Severs Flock Safety Cameras After Contract Termination

In April, Hood County commissioners voted to terminate their contract with automated license-plate reader provider Flock Safety and later pursued a $126,000 refund for alleged non-performance. By August, the commissioners directed that the three remaining Flock cameras be unplugged and concealed while removal plans were arranged, delegating the responsibility to Precinct 2 Constable John Shirley. Shirley complied, sharing images of the disabled devices and posting a blunt message to Flock demanding the company collect its "garbage" from the county.

He argued that continuous, warrantless surveillance should not become routine in a free society, though he clarified his stance was not against law-enforcement technology overall. The incident highlights the broader national debate over the balance between investigative tools and privacy rights, as similar controversies unfold across Texas and the United States.