Editor’s note: The original version of this story was published at around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5. DailyTrib received additional information from the Marble Falls Police Department at 1:49 p.m. that same day, and the article was edited at 3:15 p.m. to include these new details.

Effective Monday, Aug. 3, the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office has reportedly removed all of its fixed automated license plate reader Flock cameras. While BCSO has dropped most of its cameras, there are still several present under different agencies in the Highland Lakes area. 

According to a media release issued by BCSO on Tuesday, Aug. 4, two Flock cameras under the department and the Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force were destroyed and remaining fixed cameras had been removed. However, the agency still has access to portable Flock surveillance trailers.

“As of Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, all fixed Flock (license plate reader) cameras deployed in Burnet County by the Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force have been removed,” reads a statement from HTATT Captain Howard Stinehour. “We have had two incidents where our pole cameras have been damaged. One by cutting the mounting brackets, cables and one by striking the camera and battery with a blunt object and cutting the cables. Criminal cases have been initiated with no known suspects at this time.”

“Flock cameras” refers to the equipment of the public safety technology company, Flock Safety, which specializes in using artificial intelligence and an interconnected surveillance system to collect data that can be used to solve crimes. Specifically, the cameras track license plates and vehicle characteristics that can be cross referenced throughout the system, allowing its users to quickly find and identify vehicles detected within the surveillance network.

“Effective today (Aug. 4), there are no fixed Flock cameras under the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office,” BCSO Chief Deputy Alan Trevino told DailyTrib. 

Flock cameras have been a point of contention across the country recently, with widespread concern about the possibilities for the technology to be misused. Burnet County is not an exception. 

“Mass surveillance Flock cameras are not acceptable,” Burnet County resident Charlie Parker said during a July 28 meeting of the Burnet County Commissioners Court. “I am calling on this court to end the contract with Flock and remove all Flock cameras and hardware as well as any signal trace software or hardware from Burnet County immediately.”

The Commissioners Court approved a two-year, $44,000 contract with Flock Safety in March 2025, which included two Flock Safety pole kits and a two Flock Safety mobile trailers. While the fixed pole cameras have been removed, as Chief Deputy Trevino said, BCSO still has access to portable Flock surveillance trailers. 

“There are also the trailers that we move around from county to county that we have access to,” he said. 

Trevino said that he understands the concerns of the public, and that his department will wait to hear more before implementing more Flock technology. 

“There is a chance for it to get misused, but it’s the same for other technology used by law enforcement,” he said. “It’s a usable piece of equipment, but people are concerned about their privacy.”

Flock in the Highland Lakes

While BCSO has removed two of its Flock cameras, there are others being used by different agencies across Burnet and Llano counties.

A volunteer-based website that tracks the locations of Flock cameras throughout the country, DeFlock, shows that several cameras are present in the Highland Lakes. 

According to DeFlock’s interactive map, there are 13 cameras in Marble Falls, many of which are monitoring traffic on U.S. 281. 

The Marble Falls Police Department has used Flock technology since 2025 as part of a strategic initiative to improve investigative capabilities and to “enhance public safety” according to Police Chief Trisha Ratliff.

“The system is used as an investigative tool to assist law enforcement in locating stolen vehicles, identifying vehicles associated with wanted persons, locating missing or endangered individuals, and developing investigative leads in criminal cases,” Ratliff told DailyTrib. “It also assists investigators by helping establish whether a vehicle was present in a particular area during a specified timeframe.”

Like Chief Deputy Trevino, she acknowledged that the Flock cameras could be misused, but noted that this was possible with any technology in the hands of law enforcement.

“Like virtually any law enforcement database or investigative tool, improper use is possible if appropriate safeguards are not in place. For that reason, the Marble Falls Police Department maintains strict policies governing access and use,” she said. “Searches must be related to a legitimate law enforcement purpose, user activity is logged, and all access is subject to audit.”

There are six cameras stationed around the city of Llano, outside of city limits, that cover all major roads leading in and out of town. 

DailyTrib reached out to the Llano County Sheriff’s Office for comment, but did not hear back by the time of this article’s publication.

There are also reportedly cameras near Kingsland, Highland Haven, and Hoover Valley. 

The Burnet Police Department told DailyTrib that it had not contracted with Flock and had no intention of doing so.

The Granite Shoals Police Department stated that it did not presently have any Flock equipment, but it was pursuing grant funding to acquire it. 

dakota@thepicayune.com