Public Voices Concerns At Flock Focused City Council Meeting

Anna, Texas — Anna’s use of Flock Safety cameras dominated the Aug. 25 City Council meeting, with roughly two hours devoted to questions over public safety, privacy, data security and police oversight.

Residents spoke both for and against the technology before council members questioned Anna Police Chief Eoff and Flock Safety Regional Public Affairs Manager Ian Leslie about how the system operates and who can access the information it collects.

According to Eoff, Anna currently operates 10 Flock license plate readers — nine fixed cameras and one portable unit — and retains the data collected by those cameras for 30 days. He told the council that the city’s relationship with Flock dates to 2020, with the cameras going into operation in 2021.

Eoff said the cameras have since been used in approximately 250 investigations, though he cautioned that the actual number is likely higher because the department did not previously track every use.

“We have utilized these cameras in approximately 250 investigations,” Eoff told the council, explaining that the estimate was compiled by searching department records for references to Flock.

Mayor Pete Cain emphasized at the beginning of the work session that the discussion would not result in a decision that night.

“The Anna City Council can take no action on this item tonight,” Cain said. “It’s for discussion only.”

Council Questions Oversight and Access

Council Member Manny Singh said the technology presented legitimate public safety benefits alongside legitimate questions about privacy, oversight and the appropriate scope of government surveillance.

Singh cautioned against a “knee jerk reaction in any direction,” describing the technology as a potential force multiplier when accompanied by appropriate safeguards.

“The question isn’t simply whether we use the technology,” Singh said. “It’s whether we control the technology or the technology controls us.”

Council Member Jessie Walden focused much of her questioning on how officers use the system and how those searches are audited.

Walden asked whether an officer conducting a search was required to enter a legitimate case number or whether, historically, an officer could enter something arbitrary into the system.

“They have been able to do that in the past,” Eoff responded.

Eoff said the department now reviews searches through audits and that case numbers have a specific format. Searches may also be connected to calls for service, such as officers investigating a hit-and-run.

When Walden asked how many searches had been audited and whether inappropriate uses had been discovered, Eoff said auditing only began recently. He estimated approximately 11 audits had been conducted since February and described instances that required additional review to determine why the same vehicle may have been searched in separate investigations.

“We do need to get better at our auditing process,” Eoff said.

Council Member Nathan Bryan questioned Flock representatives about who controls access to the software used to search and organize information. Leslie said the customer determines who has access.

Council Member Kelly Herndon asked where Anna’s information is stored. Eoff said the system is cloud-based and uses Amazon Web Services GovCloud.

Council Member Elden Baker noted that AWS GovCloud is designed for sensitive government information while acknowledging that no computer system is completely impenetrable.

Singh also asked what human verification occurs before a Flock alert results in enforcement. Eoff said officers verify the photograph and license plate and, in cases involving a warrant, confirm the warrant before making a stop.

What Anna’s Flock System Actually Does

Eoff told the council that Flock is primarily used by Anna police to “recover stolen vehicles and property, locate wanted suspects, receive relevant alerts and develop investigative leads.”

As an example, Eoff pointed to a stolen vehicle recovered on the same day as the council meeting. He said Flock information allowed officers to determine that the vehicle had passed one camera but not another, helping police narrow the search to a neighborhood.

“We recovered that vehicle in about an hour and 20 minutes,” Eoff said.

According to Eoff, a standard Flock search can provide officers with a vehicle’s license plate, the date and time it was detected, make, model, color and distinguishing characteristics such as a toolbox or bumper.

Eoff also addressed confusion surrounding Flock-branded cameras installed at city parks. He told the council those cameras are standard video cameras rather than license plate readers and that their footage is not shared with other law enforcement agencies.

Anna currently shares information from its license plate readers with partner law enforcement agencies. Eoff said the department is considering limiting that access to three nearby agencies: Princeton, Celina and Melissa.

Residents Split Over the Cameras

Public comments reflected a sharp divide over whether Flock’s investigative benefits outweigh concerns surrounding government surveillance.

Wyatt Backholm received applause after describing “a beady all seeing robotic eye that has settled over the wonderful city of Anna.”

Backholm argued that while an individual observation of a vehicle may reveal little, thousands of observations could collectively reconstruct someone’s movements and associations. He questioned whether the government should be able to determine when someone visits a church, doctor, political rally or gun store without probable cause or a warrant.

Crystal Walker said she had been unaware that Anna had used Flock cameras for several years. While acknowledging that surveillance cameras are commonplace and can help communities solve crimes, Walker said government-operated surveillance raised different concerns.

“We don’t want to live in a communist dictatorship like China where they surveil everything their people do,” Walker said. “That’s not America, that’s not Texas.”

Sherri Sachs of the ThisIsAnnaTX Podcast spoke in support of maintaining license plate reader technology in Anna, whether through Flock or another provider in the future.

“A camera by any other name will do the same,” Sachs said.

Sachs argued that abandoning an existing system without an equally capable replacement could waste taxpayer money and remove a public safety tool particularly valuable to Anna because of the highways and major roads surrounding the community.

She also acknowledged reports of inappropriate uses of license plate reader technology, saying those concerns should be taken seriously and addressed through oversight rather than eliminating the technology.

“The answer to the possibility of misuse is not removing an important public safety tool,” Sachs said. “The answer is controlling how that tool is used.”

“We can protect privacy and protect our neighbors at the same time,” she added. “Let’s create guardrails, not blind spots.”

No Decision — Yet

Because the discussion was conducted as a work session, council members took no action on Anna’s Flock program Aug. 25.

The lengthy discussion nevertheless identified several issues that could return to the council, including stronger auditing procedures, which agencies should have access to Anna’s information and how the technology should be funded.

For now, the city’s 10 license plate readers remain in operation.

Sergeant Weatherford Honored

Anna Police Chief Eoff presented Sgt. Amanda Weatherford with a Meritorious Conduct Award for her response to a Dec. 9, 2025, reported aggravated assault and possible hostage situation.

Police were told an armed suspect had pistol-whipped a man and was holding a woman at gunpoint inside a residence.

Eoff said Weatherford assumed command, coordinated a perimeter and ultimately entered the residence alongside officers. The victim was safely recovered and the suspect was arrested without further incident.

Weatherford received a standing ovation after accepting the award.

Anna Introduces New Library Team, Expanded Hours

Anna also introduced three members of its library team: Library Services Manager Dr. Rose Lerma, Lauren Cannon and Michelle Mitchell.

Beginning Oct. 1, the library will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The library will be closed Sundays.

Staffed hours will begin at 10 a.m. each day, while the library’s Makerspace and Studio will operate from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Other Council Business

The Aug. 25 agenda also included the city’s monthly financial report, a proposed Chapter 380 Development Agreement and Water Line Improvement Agreement with Next Horizon Development, LLC, the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool Board of Trustees election and an Atmos Energy rate settlement.

Special thanks to Quinn (@quin.mp4 on Instagram) for allowing The Anna Progress to use his photograph.