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Welcome. On October 6, 2026, Murphy's council opted to have the city's Flock license-plate cameras removed. If you have two minutes, this page explains what happened, what is still unresolved, and what you can do about it.
What just happened, in 60 seconds
On October 6, 2026, following a presentation by Police Chief Jeff Gibson, the Murphy City Council opted to give Flock Safety 30 days’ notice to remove its four cameras. Those cameras photographed and logged every passing vehicle into a searchable national network, not just cars linked to a crime. The city funded them in 2024 with a state grant: the council voted 5-0 on December 3, 2024 (Resolution 24-R-1115), and voted again in May 2026 to seek more grant money. Through all of it, the city never published the contract, the camera count, or the cost, and never asked residents to vote on any of it. The count, four, became public the day the council moved to remove them.
Why this is a big deal right now
The grant Murphy relied on was an SB 224 "catalytic converter" grant. A Texas Tribune investigation (August 2026) found that money comes from a $1 fee tacked onto every Texan's auto insurance policy, quietly steered into more than 3,200 Flock cameras statewide. Gov. Abbott then ordered the state to stop funding Flock, and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) opened a formal congressional investigation into the company. Next door, Wylie's city council voted 7-0 on August 25, 2026 to end its Flock contract. On October 6, 2026, Murphy's council followed, citing the absence of ALPR regulation and uncertainty over whether the state would still reimburse the city.
This is not anti-police, and not partisan
We are not against police having legitimate tools. A stolen-car hit or an AMBER Alert works exactly the same under a warrant rule; nothing here stops real investigative work. Concern about Flock spans the political spectrum: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) have both condemned the company's network, and the federal bills to rein it in come from Republicans, Rep. Keith Self and Rep. Tim Burchett among them.
What we're asking
The cameras are coming down, but none of this was adopted as policy, so a future council could start the cycle over. Four things, none of them extreme:
1. Publish the contract and program details. Residents still deserve to know what Murphy signed, what it cost, and how long the data was kept.
2. Require a warrant for searches, limit retention, and block warrantless outside access. A search of anyone's movement history should need real legal process, and Murphy's data should not be open to every out-of-state agency on the network by default.
3. Hold a real public hearing. This has never gotten a dedicated public airing on its own, outside a grant vote.
4. Put any future camera program to a public vote. Residents, not a single agenda item, should decide whether Murphy keeps running license-plate surveillance.
How to help
Email the City Council. A short, personal note from a Murphy resident goes a long way. Email the City Council
Come to a City Council meeting. The council meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 6:00 PM at Murphy City Hall, 206 N. Murphy Road. To speak, submit the city's public comment form to the City Clerk by 1:00 PM on the day of the meeting; speakers get three minutes each.
Follow the campaign on Facebook for meeting reminders and updates: facebook.com/deflockmurphy
Sign up for email updates so you hear about council votes as they happen. Get Email Updates
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