OCT. 9 UPDATE · COUNCIL REJECTED RECONSIDERATION OF CAMERA CONTRACT
SEE THE 4–3 VOTE ↗
A LOCAL CALL TO END MASS VEHICLE TRACKING
OUR STREETS.
NOT THEIR
SURVEILLANCE
NETWORK.
We oppose automated license plate surveillance in Abilene. We want the cameras removed—not expanded.
Public safety matters. So do privacy, freedom of movement, and the right to travel without creating a searchable record of everyday life.
Independent community advocacy · The petition is hosted on Action Network and is not an official election or ballot petition.
THE ISSUE ISN’T JUST A CAMERA.IT’S WHAT THE DATA CAN REVEAL.
YOUR VOICE IS NOT A CLOSED VOTE.
Demand an end to indiscriminate license plate tracking in Abilene and Taylor County.
THE COUNCIL HAD A CHANCE
TO REVISIT THE DEAL.
On October 8, council members voted on whether to reopen the previously approved Axon agreement. The motion failed 4–3. The cameras stayed in the contract without a new substantive debate or contract vote that day.
A decision that deserves public attention.
The September 24 Axon approval remained in effect after the motion to reconsider was rejected.
OPEN THE FULL WHO VOTED PAGE ↗Who voted which way?
These are votes on reconsidering the Axon contract, not a separate October vote to purchase Flock cameras.
- Mayor Weldon Hurt
- Benjamin Bailey
- Lynn Beard
- Miguel Espinoza
- Jay Patterson
- Shane Price
- Travis Craver
A LICENSE PLATE IS NOT
A REASON TO TRACK SOMEONE.
ALPR systems can automatically record vehicles passing a location and make those observations searchable over time. Our objection is to the scale, permanence, and potential misuse of that surveillance—not to investigating real crimes.
Ordinary drivers get recorded.
ALPRs photograph or read vehicles regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. Repeated observations can reveal patterns of travel and association.
Policies deserve independent scrutiny.
Access logs, retention settings, outside-agency sharing, contracts, and misuse investigations must be open to meaningful public oversight—not just vendor assurances.
Expansion should never be automatic.
Twenty-eight additional Axon ALPR-capable cameras are included in an approved package. We want the city to stop planned expansion rather than treat deployment as inevitable.
We oppose government use of indiscriminate ALPR surveillance. We are not campaigning to remove body-worn cameras, ordinary security cameras guarding specific facilities, or lawful investigations based on individualized evidence. Read the petition’s specific demands ↗
NO MORE EMPTY ANSWERS.
HERE ARE THE DEMANDS.
Our position is clear. The responsible immediate steps are clear, too.
End indiscriminate government ALPR tracking.
Stop use of automated license plate systems that continuously catalog the movements of ordinary people within local officials’ authority.
Stop the planned Axon ALPR rollout.
Do not install or activate the 28 fixed ALPR-capable units without a separate, transparent public reconsideration of the surveillance component.
Release the complete public record.
Publish device inventory, contracts, locations where legally releasable, data retention and sharing rules, searches, access audits, and independent reviews.
Provide meaningful public oversight.
Hold a dedicated public hearing, answer residents’ questions on the record, and protect data while existing equipment remains in operation.
WHAT’S CHANGED.
WHAT’S STILL AT STAKE.
Important updates through October 9, 2026, with direct links to reporting and primary sources.
City confirms the 4–3 vote leaves the Axon contract in place.
The official Council Beat says the failed motion did not reopen the contract for discussion. The package includes 28 fixed ALPR-capable cameras.
READ THE CITY’S RECAP ↗Local reporting identifies every reconsideration vote.
Jay Patterson, Shane Price and Travis Craver supported reopening the contract; four colleagues opposed.
READ THE REPORT ↗APD launches its public Flock transparency portal.
The site provides the department’s explanation of the system and links to policies. Our call for independent scrutiny continues.
VIEW THE PORTAL ↗Midland will consider terminating its Flock contract.
A neighboring West Texas city’s October 13 agenda includes possible contract termination. This is a proposal, not an approved termination.
READ MIDLAND REPORTING ↗KNOW THE FACTS.
FOLLOW THE PAPER TRAIL.
The strongest arguments are supported by records anyone can check.
Who Voted?
Compare September 24 and October 8, and see exactly how council members handled the surveillance-related contract.
SEE THE VOTING RECORD ↗Camera Map
Explore documented or community-reported surveillance locations. Each pin should distinguish verified evidence from unconfirmed reports.
EXPLORE THE MAP ↗Camera Field Guide
Learn to recognize Flock, Axon, and other surveillance devices, what they collect, and how to document sightings responsibly.
READ THE FIELD GUIDE ↗Want the larger story? Browse the DeFlock Abilene news archive ↗
DON’T JUST READ THE HEADLINE. READ THE RECORD.
Find official documents, contact every council member, review what has been verified and see concrete ways to participate.
WE DON’T WANT A CITY
THAT TRACKS EVERY DRIVE.
Our streets belong to the people who live here. Tell local leaders that safety and constitutional freedoms must coexist—and that indiscriminate license plate surveillance has no place in Abilene.
Sources and fact-check notes
- City of Abilene: October 9 Council Beat reporting October 8 reconsideration vote
- KTAB/KRBC report: October 8 voting breakdown and Axon equipment
- City of Abilene: September 24 Flock presentation and separate Axon approval
- APD: July 23 report on 13 fixed Flock cameras and annual costs
- APD: September 29 launch of Flock information portal
- City of Abilene: policies and Flock transparency resources
- Midland Reporter-Telegram: October 9 report on proposed termination
- Hero photograph: Flofor15 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped, darkened, color treated)
Last editorial review: October 9, 2026. This is an independent advocacy site, not a government agency. Claims about recorded cameras and contracts are dated to the cited sources. The 28 Axon cameras are part of an approved purchase; this page does not claim they have all been installed. The city news release uses “October 10” in one sentence despite its October 8 title and official meeting date; this page follows the documented October 8 meeting.