Fort Bend County officers must now log a case number before every Flock camera search under four new safeguards announced Oct. 21 by the sheriff and district attorney.
The rules, first reported by Click2Houston, apply to automated license plate recognition (ALPR) systems across Fort Bend County law enforcement agencies. The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office dispatches for Fulshear and patrols much of the Katy area, making the policy a direct concern for local residents.
Sheriff Eric Fagan joined local police chiefs and District Attorney Brian Middleton at a press conference to outline the four requirements: a valid case or event number for every search, a legitimate reason for each query, regular audits and disciplinary action up to indefinite suspension for misuse.
The changes come after a former Katy police officer was charged with misusing the technology. Fagan said agencies already had individual policies but that the Oct. 21 announcement established shared standards across departments.
DA warns misuse can bring criminal charges
Middleton said his office warned law enforcement agencies that misusing ALPR data can be a criminal offense. His office sent a letter to Fort Bend County agencies on July 24 about the issue, he said, and encouraged departments to report suspected misuse for investigation.
Chief Prosecutor Katherine Peterson said the office has received several referrals involving potential criminal offenses tied to ALPR technology and other law enforcement databases. Some cases have been presented to grand juries, Peterson said, and others remain under investigation.
The DA's office is also proposing legislation to strengthen penalties for misuse, Peterson said.
"No equipment, no technology is going to be foolproof of stopping everything," Missouri City Police Chief Troy Finner said at the press conference.
Misuse cases prompted the response
The safeguards follow multiple incidents in the region. ABC13 reported in July that documents showed a Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office lieutenant used Flock cameras to look up one license plate 41 times and another 148 times. The lieutenant admitted the searches were not related to official work, according to those documents, and received a two-day suspension after an internal affairs investigation.
In a separate case, former Katy police officer Sergio Rodriguez was charged with misuse of official information and stalking after allegedly using Flock cameras to track a woman's location for at least five months, according to court documents reported by ABC13. Rodriguez was indicted following allegations of improper access between November 2024 and April 2025.
Harris County also tightening oversight
The Fort Bend County announcement comes as neighboring Harris County reviews its own Flock camera policies. Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones shut down 61 Flock cameras at county parks and facilities on Oct. 8, according to Covering Katy. Harris County commissioners voted 3-2 on Thursday, Oct. 15, to form a working group to examine the technology, with recommendations expected by February 2027.
Fagan and Middleton said the cameras have helped solve serious crimes, including murders, and locate fugitives. Middleton said the technology helped capture a fugitive from Hardin County in Fort Bend County on Oct. 21.
