Hutto cancels Flock contract

Hutto City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 17 to cancel the city’s contract with Flock Safety for automatic license plate reader cameras and to remove 10 cameras, citing residents’ concerns about government surveillance, data collection and potential misuse. The cameras had been deactivated in August by Police Chief Jeff Yarbrough, who was awaiting more information about possible system vulnerabilities. The decision also prohibits the use of license-plate reader technology from other companies. The city retains Flock contracts for closed-loop cameras and a video monitoring system not linked to the shared license plate reader system.