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A Flock Camera Fight Just Turned Into Death Threats Against a Texas Mayor
A dispute over automated license-plate readers in Conroe, Texas, has escalated from a surveillance debate into a police investigation after city officials were threatened with death.
Duke Coon is the newly elected mayor of Conroe (Courtesy of Duke Coon)
The threats came after the city decided to keep funding Flock cameras, while critics continue to question how much surveillance power the system gives police.
The latest threats were reported to Conroe Mayor Duke Coon on Sunday after they appeared in comments on a Facebook post about the City Council and its use of Flock cameras. One comment threatened that at least half of the council should be “physically unalive,” while another comment referenced hanging officials for treason, according to the mayor. The comments were later removed.
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Conroe police are now investigating. Police Chief Jon Buckholtz said the department is working with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and a federal investigator to determine who made the threats and whether they violated the law.
It is not the first time the Flock dispute has produced threats. In August, council members said they and their families received harassing calls or death threats after the council voted against putting the camera issue before voters on the November ballot.
The controversy intensified because Conroe did not simply keep the cameras. In September, the City Council approved a 2027 budget that included roughly $130,000 for the Flock program. Two council members, David Hairel and Shana Arthur, opposed the budget.
The police department argues the cameras are a useful investigative tool. Conroe has used Flock since 2019, and Chief Buckholtz said he has found no evidence that officers have misused the system. He also said the cameras are not used for traffic enforcement or facial recognition.
But the technology has become increasingly controversial across Texas. Flock cameras automatically photograph passing vehicles and record license plates along with vehicle characteristics. Police can search the resulting database during investigations. Supporters say the system can help identify suspects, recover stolen vehicles and locate missing people. Privacy advocates argue that the scale of the data collection creates a much broader surveillance capability.
The wider fight has become even larger since Texas halted state funding for the technology. The Texas Tribune reported in September that at least 900 Flock cameras had been unplugged across the state after funding was cut, while some cities, including Conroe, continued their programs.
For Conroe, however, the immediate issue is no longer only whether police should have the cameras. Investigators are now trying to determine who crossed the line from opposing a surveillance policy to threatening the people responsible for it.
Mayor Coon said the threats had not changed his position. He continues to support Flock, while asking residents to disagree over the policy without threatening public officials.
Editor’s Note: The death threats are under investigation, and no suspect or motive has been publicly established. The dispute over Flock cameras remains a policy debate involving competing claims about public safety, privacy, cost and access to law-enforcement data.
