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Aug. 14, 2026 – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is taking advantage of a newly released auditing tool to proactively monitor deputies’ use of license plate reader technology and investigate questionable activity.
The Sheriff’s Office manages 20 Flock Safety license plate reader networks with a combined total of 480 cameras. The owners of these networks are primarily municipal utility districts, neighborhood associations, and similar entities that have designated HCSO as their system administrators. Flock’s cameras focus solely on vehicles and license plates, not people. The technology does not identify individuals, analyze faces, or utilize any form of biometric data.
Earlier this week, Flock announced new privacy, accountability, security, and transparency safeguards that the HCSO is putting into use. This includes an auditing tool that flags potential misuse.
“Since 2022, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has used Flock technology to protect our community. The license plate readers have thwarted kidnapping attempts, led to the quick apprehension of armed robbery crews, and helped recover countless stolen vehicles,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “But as with any powerful new public safety tool, this technology is subject to abuse. We are committed to showing our community that the Harris County Sheriff’s Office can be trusted to use this technology appropriately, and that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. Any deputy who abuses the public trust will be held fully accountable, both professionally and criminally.”
In addition to implementing the new auditing tool, the Sheriff’s Office will also now require deputies to provide a descriptive case code for all license plate searches.
Only authorized law enforcement personnel with approved access can view or search HCSO Flock camera data. All access is logged to promote accountability and responsible use. HCSO policy states that license plate reader data may only be accessed for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
On Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, a reporter for USA Today contacted the Sheriff’s Office to inquire about potentially questionable use of the Flock system by three deputies. In response, the Sheriff’s Office has suspended those deputies’ access to the system and launched administrative reviews of their activities. Any policy violations revealed through these reviews could result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Any evidence of potential criminal wrongdoing will be provided to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges are appropriate.
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