Flock License Plate Cameras Are Being Cut Down Across Houston as Vandalism Spreads Nationwide
HOUSTON, Texas - Automated license plate reader cameras are increasingly becoming targets of vandalism in Houston and across the United States, with cameras being cut from their poles, spray-painted, stolen and otherwise disabled as a nationwide debate over surveillance and privacy intensifies.
The devices, commonly known as Flock cameras, automatically photograph passing vehicles and record information including license plates, vehicle characteristics, location and time. Law enforcement agencies use the information to search for vehicles connected to crimes, stolen cars and missing-person investigations.
But in Houston, a growing number of those cameras are being taken offline by vandals.
Public records obtained by ABC13 show that 74 Houston Police Department Flock cameras had been vandalized in 2026 as of August 28. The number had nearly doubled in just one month. Records showed 38 reported cases as of July 28, followed by another 36 vandalized cameras over the next month.
Several of the incidents have involved cameras being physically cut from their poles.
In Houston's Old Braeswood neighborhood, four Flock cameras were cut down during a single weekend. According to the neighborhood's property owners association president, the poles were sawed through about 18 inches above the ground with what appeared to be a heavy-duty saw. The cameras were reportedly lowered to the ground and left behind.
Another camera was discovered cut down along Studemont Street near Interstate 10 in August. The Houston Chronicle reported that the camera and the upper portion of its pole were found lying in the median. Cameras near Washington Avenue and Westcott Street had also previously been cut down.
The problem extends far beyond Houston.
An NPR review of local news reports found that Flock cameras had been vandalized in at least 36 states. Reported methods have included stealing cameras, cutting down poles, covering equipment with paint or stickers, damaging cameras with vehicles and shooting at them.
There is no comprehensive government database tracking every ALPR camera or every incident of vandalism nationwide, making it difficult to determine the full scale of the destruction.
The cameras themselves have also become increasingly common. A crowdsourced database using OpenStreetMap data documented more than 141,000 automated license plate readers nationwide as of September 18, 2026, although the organization cautions that its numbers represent cameras documented by contributors rather than an official census. Where manufacturers were identified, roughly 81% were listed as Flock Safety hardware.
Social Media Fuels the Trend
The vandalism has increasingly appeared on social media.
NPR reported that videos have circulated online purporting to show people how Flock cameras can be disabled or removed. Law enforcement intelligence bulletins obtained by 404 Media similarly described what authorities called extensive online discussion about interfering with or physically destroying ALPR equipment. Some online accounts have shared detailed instructions for damaging cameras, poles and solar panels.
Flock Safety has condemned the destruction of its equipment.
"Damaging public safety equipment is illegal and puts communities at risk," a company spokesperson told the Houston Chronicle following vandalism in Houston. The company says HPD has used its technology in investigations involving burglaries, homicides, organized retail theft and stolen vehicles. According to Flock, HPD has recovered more than $7.4 million worth of stolen vehicles since the partnership began in 2021.
Critics of ALPR systems have raised concerns about the amount of location information collected and how that information can be accessed or shared. Supporters, including many law enforcement agencies, argue that the cameras provide investigators with valuable leads that can help locate suspects and recover stolen vehicles.
Texas Funding Put on Hold
The vandalism also comes as Texas officials reconsider the state's financial support for the technology.
In August, Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed state agencies to pause state funding for Flock cameras. The order came as scrutiny increased over the state's investment in the technology. The Texas Tribune reported that at least $30 million had been devoted by a state agency to expanding the Flock network through grants to local law enforcement agencies.
The order does not itself prohibit local governments or law enforcement agencies from operating Flock cameras. Local communities continue to make their own decisions about whether to maintain, expand or discontinue their systems.
Those decisions have already produced different outcomes around the Houston area. Manvel voted to end its Flock contract, Willis shut off its cameras pending further discussion, while Conroe voted to continue funding its system.
Meanwhile, Houston's cameras continue to be targeted.
What began as scattered incidents of vandalism has developed into a measurable spike in Houston, alongside documented incidents across much of the country. With dozens of HPD cameras damaged this year and online posts continuing to circulate about the technology, the fight over automated license plate readers is increasingly playing out not only in city halls and state governments, but on the streets themselves.