Prosper's police department still operates a broad Flock Safety surveillance network funded partly by the same state grant Gov. Greg Abbott paused Aug. 26.
The town has not announced any plans to reconsider its Flock contract, even as at least six other Texas cities have ended or frozen their use of the company's license plate readers since Abbott's order.
Prosper's Flock footprint
Prosper police use Flock license plate readers, live-feed cameras, mobile camera trailers, 911 streaming, traffic analytics, and a real-time crime center platform, according to the town's Technology Transparency page. Cameras line inbound roadways and major thoroughfares. Six live-feed cameras monitor the gates of the Prosper shopping center.
Prosper became the first agency in Texas to deploy Flock's Aerodome drone-as-first-responder system, Local Profile reported. The drones can reach emergency scenes in as little as 86 seconds.
In September 2025, the Prosper Town Council approved a $205,365 agreement with Flock Safety for 19 new license plate readers and solar video cameras, according to Community Impact. A Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant covered 80% of that cost, leaving the town responsible for about $41,000.
That same MVCPA grant program is the funding stream Abbott has now paused. Whether Prosper's current Flock contract includes any remaining state-funded payments is unclear.
Statewide pullback accelerates
Manor police ended their Flock contract on Thursday, Sept. 3, Texas Scorecard reported. The Leander City Council voted unanimously Thursday, Sept. 3 to discontinue funding its Flock contract, and the city confirmed the following day, Friday, Sept. 4, that all cameras have since been removed, according to CBS Austin.
The El Paso Police Department halted its 150 state-funded Flock cameras on Thursday, Sept. 3, El Paso Matters reported. Bastrop's council voted unanimously to cover its cameras. Wylie's council voted unanimously against renewing its contract after more than 700 residents signed a petition opposing the technology.
Dallas police announced they will deactivate 321 of their 684 Flock cameras on Tuesday, Sept. 15, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Why the pullback
Abbott ordered all state agencies to pause Flock funding on Aug. 26. The MVCPA has spent at least $30 million helping agencies install more than 3,200 Flock cameras since 2023, Governing magazine reported. The money came from a $1 fee added to Texas auto insurance policies to combat catalytic converter theft. The authorizing legislation made no reference to license plate readers.
Abbott cited law enforcement misuse. A Lufkin police officer was indicted on 100 felony counts for misusing Flock data. Officers in Baytown, Harris County, Fort Bend County, Temple, and Pasadena have also faced arrest, discipline, or investigation.
"Flock cameras are being reduced dramatically," Abbott said in an Aug. 29 radio interview. "They're going to be required to be used responsibly if they're used at all."
A statewide poll of 1,167 likely Texas voters conducted Aug. 24–26 by Overton Insights and the Texas Public Policy Foundation found 63% oppose license plate reader cameras. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
What's next for Prosper
Prosper Police Chief Brent Brown, hired in June from Celina PD, has made no public statement on the town's Flock contract. No Town Council agenda item addressing the cameras has been identified.
State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, said he plans to push warrant requirements for Flock data access and wants a broader discussion about banning the cameras when the Texas Legislature convenes in January 2027.
Prosper does post its license plate reader policies online, a practice The Dallas Morning News editorial board cited as a model alongside Carrollton and Frisco. Residents can review the town's surveillance policies on its Technology Transparency page.
