Documented Incident

Texas City police report two possible ALPR misuse cases, add safeguards after internal review

First reported: September 17, 2026 · 9 sources

The Texas City Police Department says an internal review of its automated license plate reader program, ordered earlier in the summer by Interim Chief James Patterson, turned up two possible instances of misuse. The department says one involved a civilian employee who was disciplined, while the second involves a sergeant and remains under investigation. The agency has since revised its ALPR operating policy, cutting the number of users with search access by roughly two-thirds and requiring three justification fields, including a case number, before any search can run.

Key facts

• Two possible misuse incidents were identified: one by a civilian employee, who was disciplined, and one involving a sergeant, with that investigation described as ongoing.
• ALPR search access is now limited to Texas City PD detectives and supervisors, reducing the user count by about two-thirds.
• Searches require three justification fields, including a case number and stated reason; incomplete entries are rejected.
• All users were audited by supervisors with no exemptions, including the chief of police, and monthly audits are planned going forward.
• Texas City has used ALPRs since 2023 and currently has 26 stationary readers plus two deployable units.

Timeline

• September 17, 2026Texas City PD identifies 2 possible instances of misuse of automated license plate reader technology
• September 17, 2026Texas City PD identifies 2 possible instances of misuse of automated license plate reader technology
• September 20, 2026Texas City Police Tighten License Plate Reader Access After Two Employees Were Accused of Misuse, Adding Audits, Supervisor Oversight and Case-Number Requirements for Searches
• September 17, 2026Texas City police tighten license plate reader access after review finds possible misuse

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

• Texas City PD identifies 2 possible instances of misuse of automated license plate reader technology (Headtopics, September 17, 2026)
• Texas City PD identifies 2 possible instances of misuse of automated license plate reader technology (Click2Houston, September 17, 2026)
• Texas City PD identifies 2 possible instances of misuse of automated license plate reader technology (Click2houston, September 17, 2026)
• Texas City Police Tighten License Plate Reader Access After Two Employees Were Accused of Misuse, Adding Audits, Supervisor Oversight and Case-Number Requirements for Searches (Newsbreak, September 20, 2026)
• Texas City Police Tighten Automated License Plate Reader Rules After Two Possible Misuse Cases, Adding Audits, Access Limits and New Justification Requirements (Newsbreak, September 17, 2026)
• Texas City police tighten license plate reader access after review finds possible misuse (Newsbreak, September 17, 2026)
• Texas City restricts license plate data access after review (CW39 Houston, September 17, 2026)
• Texas City police change license plate reader rules after possible misuse (Yahoo, September 17, 2026)
• Texas City Police Lock Down License Plate Reader Access After Two Misuse Cases (Hoodline, September 17, 2026)

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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 September 23, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.