While cities like Austin and San Marcos are scaling back their use of license plate surveillance technology, the City of Hutto is moving in the opposite direction, doubling down on its investment in Flock Safety cameras despite a crime rate that’s far lower than the state or national average.

The surveillance systems, called Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), capture images of passing vehicles and cross-reference the plates with law enforcement databases. They’ve sparked growing debate in Central Texas, with critics citing privacy risks, transparency concerns, and the potential for misuse.

Earlier this week, the San Marcos City Council voted against expanding its Flock camera system, citing the lack of an audit and unanswered questions about how the cameras were being used.

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