Bandera, Texas ended its contract with Flock Safety, an automatic license plate reader provider, after a 3-2 vote. A dissenting councilmember, Jeff Flowers, responded by attacking concerns about ALPR technology and accusing critics of using Nazi rhetoric. He framed the council’s decision as prioritizing anonymity for car thieves and human traffickers over residents’ rights to protect property and family safety. He then called for sweeping restrictions, requesting a total ban on cellular and GPS-capable devices for operations within city limits. He argued that true privacy requires leaving smartphones at the city line.
"For months, I have listened to the outcry regarding [ALPR] technology. I have seen the eyerolls, and I've even been met with 'Nazi rhetoric,' the dangerous claim that believing in accountability and community safety is somehow equivalent to totalitarianism. Comparing a neighbor's desire for a safe street to a dark chapter of history is a classic case of comparing apples to oranges; it is a distraction used to avoid the reality of the threats our town faces today."
"Since the Council has decided we are the 'Free State of Bandera,' a place where the 'rights' of a car thief or human trafficker to remain anonymous apparently outweigh the right of a resident to protect their property and the safety of their family, then we must go all the way. To ensure our historic County Seat becomes the most 'traditional' sanctuary in Texas, I have requested... a total ban on all cellular and GPS-capable devices for all operations within city limits."
"If we are to be truly 'private,' we must leave our smartphones at the city line."
#automatic-license-plate-readers #surveillance-technology #local-government #privacy-and-civil-liberties #texas
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