Conroe Police Chief Jon Buckholtz addressed privacy concerns over Flock license plate reader cameras, emphasizing their role in crime investigations and denying use of facial recognition or continuous surveillance.
Conroe Police Chief Jon Buckholtz defended the department’s use of automated license plate reader cameras during a June 11 City Council meeting, saying the system is designed to fight crime while protecting residents’ privacy.Buckholtz said the Flock camera system identifies vehicles linked to criminal activity and does not enforce traffic violations, issue speeding tickets or use facial recognition technology.
The cameras collect limited data, including license plate numbers, vehicle make, model and color, as well as the date, time and location of each detection. They do not capture images of drivers or passengers, record audio or video, or monitor private property, he said.
“[Flock cameras] absolutely have no access to what I have access to,” Buckholtz told council members. “They capture the image, they store it, we access it.”
Buckholtz added that officers only access the data when there is a “legitimate law enforcement reason” tied to an active investigation.
The system supports investigations into a range of cases, including stolen vehicles, missing persons, Amber Alerts, violent crimes, burglaries and hit-and-run incidents.
Since the creation of the department’s Crime Reduction Unit in August 2025, Buckholtz said officers have made 202 arrests, with 84 involving information from Flock cameras.
The department retains camera data for 30 days before it is automatically deleted. Buckholtz said the information is encrypted and stored in a secure cloud system.
Conroe police can share data with nearby law enforcement agencies within a 50-mile radius, including the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. However, Buckholtz said the department does not share data with federal agencies and prohibits its use for immigration enforcement or reproductive care investigations.
Addressing community concerns, Buckholtz said the system does not track individuals throughout the day or monitor vehicles in real time beyond fixed camera locations. He also stated that Flock does not sell data for commercial purposes.
While the system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify vehicles, Buckholtz emphasized it is not “AI surveillance.”
By the numbers, Buckholtz reported that in the past 30 days, the system recorded 14.4 million camera reads, averaging about 480,880 reads per day. Officers conducted 1,733 searches during that period, or about 60 daily.
He noted that multiple reads can include the same vehicle.
From Jan. 1 through June 10, real-time alerts generated by the system included 553 warrants, 166 stolen vehicles and 38 missing persons cases.
Council member John Sellars raised questions about the volume of camera reads during the meeting.
Buckholtz said the department will continue using the technology as part of its broader crime reduction strategy.
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