The San Marcos City Council voted five to two in favor of a motion to deny the San Marcos Police Department’s ability to amend the contract with FLOCK Group, Inc. regarding license plate recognition cameras at the regularly scheduled meeting last week. According to city documents, it currently has a contract with Flock Safety for 14 cameras in the amount of $47,068.49. SMPD was requesting additional equipment and software for the police department's license plate recognition technology in the amount of $124,068.49. According to meeting documents, council approved LPR technology on August 15, 2017. In 2019, council approved increasing the amount allocated in the budget to LPR by $11,000. City Council voted on April 19, 2022, to approve a sole source agreement with Flock Group, Inc, for LPR software to be used by the Police Department for $103,500. Additional cameras were purchased in both June and August of 2024.
Cindy Laird, a San Marcos resident, spoke in public comment in favor of approving additional FLOCK cameras, pointing out a case in which they proved beneficial.
“These readers are used in cities all over Texas, San Marcos included,” Laird said. “On March 10 of this year, an Austin news reporter Jamie White was shot and killed when he came across several individuals breaking into his car at his apartment complex. The case was cold until automated license plate readers helped Austin PD identify four juvenile suspects.”
