Rockwall and Heath agencies face new uncertainty after Gov. Greg Abbott froze Flock camera installations on Texas state roads. Both communities use the automated license plate readers and have received state grants to fund them.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) stopped issuing permits for Flock cameras and other license plate readers along state-owned roadways, the agency confirmed Thursday, Sept. 17, WFAA reported. The permit pause began Sept. 8, according to a presentation by the Schertz police chief cited in the report.
Existing cameras remain in place. More than 900 cameras operated by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) stay active on state rights-of-way.
TxDOT said in a statement that the suspension covers approved agreements that have not yet been installed. The agency reviews permits for correct and safe placement but does not install cameras or access their data.
Local cameras and grant money at stake
The Rockwall Police Department had 14 Flock cameras installed as of July 2025, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Atlas of Surveillance. That count may have changed since.
State grant records show Rockwall-area agencies have drawn funding from the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA), the same agency at the center of the statewide controversy. The City of Heath received a $12,000 fiscal year 2026 MVCPA grant explicitly named "Heath Department of Public Safety Flock Grant," according to the TxDMV grant listing. Rockwall County received a $226,190 MVCPA grant for its "Auto Crime Suppression Initiative." The grant name does not specify whether those funds went toward Flock cameras.
Abbott ordered all state agencies to stop directing money toward Flock cameras in late August. Hundreds of devices across Texas have been shut down since, the Texas Tribune reported. An estimated 13,000 Flock cameras were operating statewide before the freeze.
Privacy concerns vs. crime-fighting tool
"Citizens are concerned about their Fourth Amendment rights," Abbott said in an Aug. 28 radio interview, as reported by the Texas Tribune. "No private person should have access to Flock cameras."
Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said in late August that agencies receiving state funds were being told those funds could not go toward Flock cameras, the Texas Tribune reported. Abbott cited a Lufkin police officer indicted on 100 counts of misusing official information for allegedly using Flock cameras to surveil 11 people for more than a year.
City councils and county commissions across Texas have also unplugged cameras in response to residents' privacy concerns and reports of law enforcement misuse. Law enforcement agencies have defended the cameras as effective tools for solving crimes, recovering stolen vehicles and locating missing people.
State Rep. Katrina Pierson, who represents House District 33 covering Rockwall, said on X on Friday, Sept. 18 that the Flock camera privacy debate was among topics discussed at a Rockwall County legislative update event.
@KatrinaPierson: "We packed the house discussing the Sharia Free Texas Caucus, data center growth and grid impacts, property tax relief, the Flock camera privacy debate, and the Texas Women's Health Initiative."
What it means locally
The TxDOT permit freeze applies only to cameras on state-owned roadways. Cameras on city or county roads are not covered by the order. Whether any Rockwall-area Flock cameras sit on state rights-of-way is not clear from available records.
The funding freeze is broader. Heath's $12,000 Flock grant could be directly affected if the state determines those funds fall under the ban. Rockwall County's $226,190 MVCPA grant may also be at risk.
Neither Rockwall Police, Heath's Department of Public Safety nor the Rockwall County Sheriff's Office has publicly addressed how the freeze affects local operations. Residents can contact those agencies directly for updates.
