In Houston's historic Old Braeswood neighborhood, four surveillance cameras operated by a company called Flock Safety were attacked in the middle of the night. The metal poles holding the cameras were cut down, and the distinctive black oval cameras, along with their solar panels, were left on the ground. Some of the damaged devices had a red sign stating, "Notice. 24/7 video recording." Similar incidents have occurred in Minnesota, California, and Georgia, raising concerns about the growing use of AI-powered surveillance systems across the country. Flock Safety, founded in 2017, is one of the largest providers of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), which take photos of the license plates of vehicles as they pass by. The company claims to work with more than 7,000 communities across the United States, with an estimated 100,000 cameras in use. Records obtained by the BBC reveal that some law enforcement agencies, including the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Texas, have used facial recognition software from a company called Clearview AI, which has a database of over 70 billion images. This use of Clearview AI by Harris County had not been previously reported, and the sheriff's office did not respond to requests for comment. Flock Safety not only sells cameras but also offers access to a vast network of devices that can include thousands of cameras across the country. This network is a major selling point for law enforcement, as it allows them to search a much larger pool of data than they could with individual cameras. For example, Houston's METRO Transit Authority has access to around 20,000 devices in the Flock network, despite owning only 35 of its own cameras. Documents show the network has expanded rapidly, with the number of networks searched for a typical license plate lookup increasing from 270 in 2024 to 500 in 2025 and projected to reach 6,000 by 2026. Critics argue that this national network raises more privacy concerns than the individual cameras themselves. Christopher Rivera from the Texas Civil Rights Project worries that authorities could use these databases to track people's daily routines, including their work commutes, children’s schools, and places of worship. Recent cases have highlighted privacy risks, such as a police officer in Kentucky who was charged for using the Flock system to track his ex-girlfriend over 2,000 times, and a detective in Texas who searched over 80,000 images without a warrant to locate a woman suspected of having an abortion. Critics say the integration of AI in surveillance technology has made Flock a household name, with Americans increasingly aware of its capabilities. While Flock does not use facial recognition, some police departments may use other facial recognition tools, which critics argue can be biased and violate human rights. Police departments defend the use of surveillance technology, saying it is crucial for crime prevention. Chief Ray Schultz of the Memorial Villages Police Department claims the technology has helped recover stolen cars, increasing the number from an average of three a year to 45. He also used the system to locate an elderly woman with dementia who had driven 60 miles and was reunited with her family. Schultz emphasizes the need for strong policies to govern the use of ALPRs and to hold officers accountable for misuse. Jasmine Khadem Gonzalez, an immigrant rights organizer, is concerned that the Flock database could be used to inform federal immigration enforcement, such as ICE, about someone's location. Although Flock's CEO says federal agencies cannot access the data directly, some police departments have agreements with federal immigration authorities. A proposed contract amendment once allowed sharing data with federal law enforcement but was later removed due to public opposition. Since 2021, hundreds of communities have canceled or chosen not to renew their contracts with Flock, including major cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin, Texas. Reasons for the cancellations include cost concerns and worries about data privacy. Nationally, lawmakers have proposed regulations, and the issue has become a topic in upcoming political campaigns. Republican Congressman Keith Self has introduced legislation requiring warrants for federal agencies to access Flock data. Flock Safety’s CEO, Garrett Langley, says it is up to individual cities to decide how long to store data and what information to share. He describes Flock as a safety company, not a surveillance one, despite three patents filed between 2020 and 2025 that include the word "surveillance." Langley claims the technology has helped solve "about a million crimes" and has aided in finding over 10,000 missing people. Jessie, an immigrant from Central America, says the presence of a Flock camera outside her home makes her feel stalked. She has changed her commute to avoid creating a predictable pattern and expresses distrust in the technology’s intent to keep people safe.