Documented Incident
Bexar County Flock audit shows ~1,800 searches in 30 days, placeholder case numbers in over a dozen
Event: September 1, 2025 · First reported: October 13, 2026 · 2 sources
An audit log obtained by KABB's News 4 I-Team shows the Bexar County Sheriff's Office ran roughly 1,800 Flock license-plate reader searches between Aug. 2 and Sept. 1, with 72% reaching 1,000 or more networks. More than a dozen searches listed placeholder entries such as "12345" rather than a case number, which the agency's own Flock transparency portal policy requires. Sheriff Javier Salazar said placeholders are permitted only briefly before a real case number is entered and that an intelligence unit supervisor audits searches nearly daily, though the station reported some placeholders had remained for close to a month. Salazar also said the county's Flock funding, tied to the Texas Anti-Gang Unit, may end after Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to stop spending on license-plate reader systems.
The audit illustrates how self-reported search justifications can go unverified even where written policy requires them, a recurring question for communities evaluating ALPR oversight. It also shows how state-level funding decisions, rather than local votes, can determine whether a surveillance program continues.
Key facts
- About 1,800 Flock searches were logged from Aug. 2 through Sept. 1; Bexar County operates 33 cameras and has access to more than 1,000 outside networks.
- 72% of searches in that period were broad searches reaching 1,000 or more networks, which Salazar attributed largely to regional investigations.
- More than a dozen searches used placeholder case numbers such as "12345"; agency policy requires a case number or investigative identifier.
- Flock Safety said it will require case codes for all law-enforcement searches by the end of the year, with an emergency bypass that flags searches for administrator review.
- Salazar said the contract is funded through early 2027, he does not expect it to continue, and he will not ask Commissioners Court for replacement funding.
- In an August homicide case, deputies used a vehicle description to locate a white Volvo SUV; Martin Sanchez Jr. is charged with murder, and two others face related charges. Charges are not convictions.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Audit log raises questions about Bexar County Flock searches; future funding in question (KABB, October 13, 2026)
- Audit log raises questions about Bexar County Flock searches; future funding in question (WOAI, October 13, 2026)
More from Texas
Everything we have documented in Texas, or search every Texas article in the archive.
About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated October 14, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.