TAKE BACK OUR STREETS.
DeFlock Abilene calls for an end to government-operated, indiscriminate license-plate surveillance in Abilene and Taylor County — regardless of whether the vendor is Flock, Axon, or someone else. This guide shows the public how to participate in that effort legally, effectively, and with the facts.
The campaign focuses on ALPR networks and indiscriminate fixed-camera mass monitoring — not a blanket ban on police body cameras, site-specific security cameras, or lawful investigations based on individualized suspicion.
THREE ACTIONS. ONE CLEAR START.
You do not need to be an expert or make a public speech. Choose one of these actions today, then work through the deeper steps below.
Sign the petition.
Read DeFlock Abilene’s local demands and sign the campaign petition. It is an advocacy petition, not a formal Texas ballot petition.
SIGN THE PETITION ↗Contact city leaders.
Send a concise message to City Council. Ask for a public hearing, a documented deployment inventory, and consideration of ending ALPR contracts.
COUNCIL CONTACTS ↓Request records.
Request contracts, costs, location inventories, audit summaries, retention and data-sharing policies. Keep a copy of your request and the response.
GET REQUEST TEMPLATE ↓THREE TOOLS. ONE DOCUMENTED RECORD.
Explore the primary evidence, see precisely how council members voted on reconsideration, and track what government records still need confirmation.
DOCUMENT LIBRARY
Original county resolution, APD policy, city council recordings and clearly labeled missing records.
OPEN SOURCE DOCUMENTS ↗COUNCIL CONTACT DASHBOARD
Official email links for all seven members, October 8 votes and a ready-to-adapt inquiry.
SEE WHO VOTED + CONTACT ↗PUBLIC PROGRESS TRACKER
Verified dates, decisions and open questions; no invented request updates or camera deployments.
FOLLOW THE RECORD ↗WHAT’S HAPPENING IN ABILENE?
Use primary-source links before sharing numbers or claims. A vote approving equipment does not prove that cameras have been deployed.
Reconsideration fails, 4–3.
The Council declined to reopen its September 24 approval of a $8,701,111.45, five-year Axon package that includes 28 fixed cameras capable of reading license plates. The $8.7 million is the whole package, not the price of 28 cameras.
City report ↗Meeting video / item 9 ↗APD launches Flock portal.
The department now provides a public page linking to its Flock transparency portal and published ALPR policy. Check it against contracts and independently requested records; a portal does not replace an audit.
APD portal + policy ↗County authorized a TxDOT arrangement.
Resolution 4-26 authorized the sheriff to enter into a TxDOT right-of-way agreement for ALPR installation and operation. Authorization alone does not confirm installation. Records are needed to establish current deployment.
Read Resolution 4-26 ↗Public-safety context: APD has cited specific investigations in which ALPR images assisted detectives. Opponents raise separate questions about continuous scans, retention, error rates and access. Both the claimed benefits and surveillance risks deserve documented scrutiny. City’s Sept. 24 meeting summary.
ABILENE & TAYLOR COUNTY.
There are two governments to engage: the City of Abilene for APD and city contracts, and Taylor County for county-led ALPR authorizations and agreements.
Work through City Council.
City Hall: 555 Walnut Street, Council Chambers (2nd floor), Abilene, TX 79601. Regular meeting schedules vary; the city publishes agendas and how to speak.
- Ask for a publicly posted ALPR-only agenda item and hearing that distinguishes ALPRs from body cameras and digital evidence systems.
- Request the city inventory, status and settings for the proposed 28 fixed Axon units and any currently operated Flock cameras.
- Ask officials to examine lawful suspension, contract termination or non-renewal, a vendor-neutral ALPR ordinance, and restrictions on external database access.
- Read the agenda before attending; follow the posted public-comment procedures and speak within the allotted time.
Official contact: [email protected] · (325) 676-6200
Track the county authorizations.
Commissioners Court: Taylor County Administration, 400 Oak Street, Suite 300, Abilene, TX 79602. The county states that court generally meets every other Tuesday.
- Ask whether any camera was installed under Resolution 4-26; request site approvals, TxDOT agreement, operator, costs and deployment status.
- Request public consideration of rescinding or amending Resolution 4-26, subject to contracts and applicable law.
- Ask for public disclosure of county agreements and whether county data is searchable by outside agencies.
- Use the county’s official public-comment form; it states a 3 p.m. Monday deadline preceding the meeting.
County judge: [email protected] · (325) 674-1235
Contacts sourced from the City’s official council directory. Names and procedures may change; verify before sending.
FIND THE FACTS. GET THE RECORDS.
A focused records request can establish what was purchased, what is operating, how data is handled, and what the public has paid. It should seek existing documents, not ask the agency to create an analysis.
Send it to the right office.
Abilene accepts requests through its NextRequest system or by emailing [email protected]. For county-held and TxDOT-held records, direct separate requests to the appropriate custodians.
Records worth requesting
Under Texas law, the agency generally must release non-exempt records promptly and may seek an Attorney General ruling when claiming an exception. The 10-business-day period is relevant to ruling requests, not a guaranteed deadline for producing every record. Keep submission confirmations and fee estimates.
Subject: Public Information Act request — ALPR cameras and contracts To: City of Abilene Public Information Officer Under the Texas Public Information Act, I request existing electronic records for the period January 1, 2025 through the date this request is processed, relating to the City of Abilene and/or Abilene Police Department's automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems, including Flock Safety and the Axon Outpost equipment approved in September 2026: 1. Current device inventories and existing records showing vendor, model, acquisition date, installation/deployment status and any releasable locations. 2. Executed contracts, amendments, purchase orders, invoices, funding documents and renewal or cancellation provisions. 3. Current and prior ALPR-use policies, retention/deletion rules, external data-sharing arrangements, user access controls and audit policies. 4. Existing aggregate reports of searches, alerts, outside-agency access, misuse investigations or error rates, if maintained. 5. Existing deployment plans, project timelines or activation-status records for the 28 fixed cameras referenced in the Axon package. Please provide responsive records electronically where possible. Please notify me of any anticipated charges before processing if they exceed $40. If an item is withheld, please identify the statutory exception or decision relied upon. If a requested record does not exist, please state that where practicable. Name: [Your name] Preferred email for response: [Your email] Date: [Date]
Subject: Request a public ALPR hearing and independent review Dear Mayor and Council Members, I am an Abilene resident writing about automated license plate readers in our community. Please schedule a publicly noticed hearing focused specifically on the existing Flock program, the fixed ALPR-capable cameras included in the Axon contract, and associated data-sharing arrangements. I ask the City to publish its device inventory, spending, planned deployment status, use policies, retention rules and outside-agency access agreements. I also ask Council to consider the lawful steps required to pause any further ALPR expansion, end contracts for indiscriminate tracking, and evaluate a vendor-neutral local prohibition. Body cameras and targeted police investigations should be discussed separately from networked collection of drivers' location data. Please let me know how residents can formally submit evidence and comment on these options. Sincerely, [Your name] [Abilene neighborhood or ZIP, optional]
FROM ABILENE TO AUSTIN.
State law can address public-agency ALPR acquisition, government data sharing, warrant standards, records access and oversight. Local ordinances must remain within state and federal law.
Find your legislators.
Enter an address in the Texas Legislature’s official lookup to identify the Texas House and Senate officials representing that location. Ask for an ALPR hearing and proposed text, not a vague pledge.
WHO REPRESENTS ME? ↗Review bill models.
The ACLU released an ALPR Ban Model Bill in September 2026. Separate model policies offer narrower guardrails. These are proposals, not enacted Texas law; adaptation requires legal review.
ACLU BAN MODEL BILL ↗Follow actual bills.
Use Texas Legislature Online to check bill text, committee referrals, hearing notices and final status. For background, 2025 HB 961 and HB 2083 proposed different ALPR restrictions; do not represent them as current law.
TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE ↗- Should public agencies be prohibited from maintaining searchable records of everyone traveling on public roads?
- Should ALPR access or retrospective searches require judicial oversight or individualized grounds?
- What rules should govern vendors, retention, outside-agency searches, audit trails and public reporting?
- Should agencies document privacy impacts and show evidence of effectiveness before procurement?
- What contract exit, data deletion and records-preservation rules should apply if a program closes?
- How should TxDOT rights-of-way and state grants be reviewed for surveillance deployment?
THE NATIONAL POLICY CONVERSATION.
Federal policy can influence surveillance through highway funding, agency access, warrant rules, cross-jurisdictional data sharing and public transparency. Current proposals and agency practices should be checked before claiming a law has changed.
Contact Congress.
Identify your current House representative and senators using official directories. Ask about restrictions on federal funding for indiscriminate ALPR networks and limits on federal access to local plate data.
FIND HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE ↗CONTACT US SENATORS ↗Study federal proposals.
In May 2026, the ACLU backed an amendment proposal addressing ALPR use in federal highway funding. Read the supporting letter and check current legislative status before describing any measure as enacted.
ACLU FEDERAL FUNDING LETTER ↗Join research and oversight.
Document publicly verifiable deployments; examine contracts and existing audits; share precise corrections with independent research projects. Avoid posting private plates, people’s movements, or unverified surveillance claims.
EFF ATLAS OF SURVEILLANCE ↗National developments worth watching
In October 2026, other governments have taken or considered different approaches: Scottsdale directed study of contract exit and alternate arrangements, while Midland, Texas was set to consider contract termination on October 13. These are not proof that Abilene must take the same path; they provide comparison cases for cost, contracts and governance.
YOUR 30-DAY ACTION PLAN.
Work in a transparent, nonviolent, fact-checkable way. Log requests and answers, publish primary documents, and revisit the plan as officials respond.
Get oriented.
- Read the petition and original council record.
- Sign or share the petition if you support its demands.
- Review APD’s public ALPR policy.
- Write down three questions you want answered.
Request facts.
- Submit focused city open-records requests.
- Request county and TxDOT documents separately.
- Track confirmations, fees and response dates.
- Check upcoming City Council and county agendas.
Participate.
- Send individualized comments to officials.
- Attend or watch a relevant public meeting.
- Share verified documents with journalists or neighbors.
- Ask that ALPR-specific options appear on an agenda.
Follow through.
- Publish a sourced summary of records received.
- Compare cost, terms, retention and outside access.
- Request written decisions and timetable.
- Connect with Texas and national civil-liberties groups.
THE RESOURCE LIBRARY.
Official portals, primary documents and civil-liberties tools, organized by use. This is a working directory rather than a claim to include every organization or law in the country.
Abilene & Taylor County
Texas: Law & Legislative Process
Model Policies & Campaign Guides
United States: Research & Oversight
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK.
Does a 4–3 reconsideration vote mean the 28 cameras are already installed?
No. The October 8 action left the earlier Axon contract approval in place. It does not establish whether particular cameras have been installed, activated, or configured for plate reading or live video. Deployment records, invoices and departmental disclosures are the appropriate next checks.
Is an online petition legally binding on the City Council?
No. This Action Network petition is an advocacy petition; it does not itself place a measure on a Texas ballot or compel legislation. It can be submitted to officials as an expression of support for the demands listed on its page.
Are all license-plate readers automatically unconstitutional?
No blanket legal conclusion follows from the existence of ALPRs. Courts examine the facts, surveillance duration, legal authority and relevant precedents. The campaign’s proposed ban is a policy position that can go beyond what current constitutional doctrine strictly requires.
What if the City declines to end the program?
Residents can request written reasons and records, ask for an independent audit, attend later public meetings, explore limits on retention and outside sharing, and continue the legislative process. The ACLU provides separate model language for restrictions where outright bans are not adopted.
Is DeFlock Abilene against body-worn cameras or every security camera?
The linked local petition expressly distinguishes its opposition to governmental ALPR networks and indiscriminate mass monitoring from body-worn cameras, cameras securing particular sites, and lawful individualized investigations.
How can I document a camera responsibly?
Use publicly accessible places, keep clear of traffic and equipment, and do not trespass, obstruct, damage devices or post private plates or personal travel histories. Crowdsourced map pins are leads, not independently verified proof of who operates a camera.
KNOW THE FACTS. PARTICIPATE. FOLLOW THROUGH.
The petition is one path. Public records, documented meetings and sustained communication provide additional ways to engage with Abilene’s surveillance decisions.
READ & SIGN THE PETITION ↗