Fort Worth approves license-plate-reader cameras at public rights of way

Fort Worth City Council members passed on Tuesday, an agreement giving Flock — an automated license-plate reader company — a license to install and maintain non-police department license-plate-reader cameras at public rights of way.

The agreement covers a period of 20 years and may be renewed for up to two successive five-year terms.

According to the city council’s agenda documents, some homeowners associations and businesses have asked the city to allow cameras to remain in the city’s rights of way, and the city agreed to this request. Jared Williams, District 6 City Council member, and District 11 City Council member Jeanette Martinez were absent from the meeting and did not participate in the voting.

Several HOAs and businesses that own private cameras have partnered with the police department to provide real-time crime center data via access to private cameras.

The police have designated two representatives to serve as points of contact for any HOA that shares their private cameras.

“Because it is their camera, if they give us a reason, and the reason seems reasonable — for example, let’s say there was an accident on private property, and they wanted to figure out who maybe the assailant was or if maybe some of the property was damaged, they didn’t make a police report,” interim Police Chief Robert Alldredge said at the June 3 work session. “We would then bypass the open records, because it is their camera, and we would allow them, we would give them access to that information.”

Adrian Smith, who opposes the cameras in public rights of way, said at Tuesday’s meeting that people give up so much for so little public right of way, and the main intent of a right of way is to provide public access for travel and transportation, including walking, biking and driving.

“Flock cameras operate under the guise of public safety, usually crime deterrence and crime prevention,” Smith said at Tuesday’s meeting. “They have become an extension of law-enforcement operations. However, many have become weapons of invasiveness whenever they are used with ill intent.”

This story was originally published June 10, 2025 at 10:25 PM.