by Implementation of an Artificial Intelligence System for Traffic Surveillance in Dallas
Residents who prefer to remain unnoticed might consider moving from Dallas, Texas. Despite statewide rhetoric about freedom and independence from government intervention, the city has implemented a network of AI-powered traffic cameras that capture images and videos of countless vehicles and citizens daily. Proponents of the system claim it aims to enhance safety, while opponents warn of a serious threat to privacy.
Scale of the System and Funding
According to public documents, Dallas police have gained access to over 600 license plate reading cameras placed throughout the city, typically on 12-foot-high poles. In May, the city council approved a three-year, $5.7 million contract with Flock Safety, funded by a mix of city funds, as well as state and federal grants.
Advanced AI Capabilities
One officer noted how impressed he was with the clarity of the images Flock has access to. He mentioned that the system helped police apprehend a murder suspect. Undoubtedly, this network is an extremely powerful tool. Flock’s AI cameras are capable of more than just reading license plates.
The technology, which the company calls a “vehicle fingerprint,” can identify a car’s make, model, color, stickers, visible damage, and even vehicles with paper plates or no plates at all. Police can search the system without specifying a license plate and receive alerts when flagged vehicles move between jurisdictions.
Effectiveness and Prevalence of the System
Flock claims its tools help solve approximately one million crimes per year, and its co-founder predicted the technology could one day “almost completely eliminate crime.” Over 80,000 Flock cameras are already installed nationwide, used by about 5,000 law enforcement agencies.
Security and Privacy Concerns
It is clear that with such power from these camera systems comes growing concern about their control. Several civil liberties organizations, including the ACLU, point to potential problems associated with such camera networks.
Even ordinary citizens have proven that Flock’s own cameras sometimes lack any network security. One critic called them “something like Netflix for stalkers,” due to the ease of accessing recorded and even live feeds from these cameras.
Legal and Political Opposition
Some states are resisting from a legal standpoint. Residents of Wisconsin recently voted to terminate the contract with Flock. A similar decision was made in Flagstaff, Arizona. A judge in Washington state recently ruled that images and videos from such camera networks are public data, so police turned them off. The mayor of a city in Colorado faced criticism after renewing the contract with Flock, despite the city council voting against it.
Illinois turned off its traffic cameras in 2025, citing security issues after an audit. “The findings of the Illinois Secretary of State’s audit, combined with Flock’s admission that the company did not establish clear permissions and protocols to ensure local compliance with requirements during a pilot project with federal users, are deeply concerning.”
Reality for Drivers and Public Debate
For drivers, this discussion highlights a growing reality: roads are becoming subject to increasing surveillance, analysis, and archiving. Whether this will lead to safer streets or become a step too far remains an open and increasingly acute question.
The deployment of large-scale AI-based surveillance systems is undoubtedly transforming the landscape of urban safety and law enforcement. On one hand, there are real success stories in solving serious crimes, allegedly making cities safer. On the other hand, the technological capabilities that allow identifying a vehicle by dozens of parameters and tracking its movements create an unprecedented digital trail. The lack of unified legislative regulation and contradictory decisions at the level of individual states and cities indicate that society is only beginning to realize the long-term consequences of such total monitoring. The question of who controls access to this data, how, guarantees its security from abuse, and defines the limits of what is permissible is becoming central not only for human rights defenders but for every citizen who gets behind the wheel.
