Public Records & Surviellance
Flock Cameras in Lamar County
What the Public Records Show
I requested Lamar County’s Flock audit records to find out who had access to the system, how it was being used, and what oversight existed.
This page brings the records, timeline, public response, and outstanding questions together in one place.
Open Government / Accountable Leadership / A Stronger Lamar County
What Happened?
I requested Lamar County's Flock audit records because I wanted to understand who had access to the county's automated license plate reader system, how that access was being used, and what oversight existed.
The records raised questions that I believe the public deserves answers to.
- A Justice of the Peace account showed hundreds of searches conducted after he had already left traditional law enforcement.
- Numerous searches were recorded with the reason listed as "unknown."
- The Sheriff later acknowledged that some former employees still had active access to the system.
- The records also raised questions about generic accounts, including an account labeled Dispatch1.
This page brings the records, public responses, and outstanding questions together so Lamar County residents can examine them for themselves.
What Is Flock?
Flock Safety operates automated license plate reader systems, commonly called ALPRs. These systems capture information about vehicles that pass cameras and allow authorized users to search that information.
Individual Accounts
Flock says users should log in using individual credentials so activity can be associated with a specific person.
Purpose-Based Searches
Flock says searches must relate to a defined investigative purpose and the reason for the search is recorded.
Audit Logs
Search activity is recorded so authorized supervisors can review who accessed the system, when, and why.
Locally Controlled Access
The local agency determines which users receive access and is responsible for managing that access.
Why I Requested the Records
If taxpayers are funding a system capable of searching vehicle movements throughout our community, I believe residents should be able to understand how that government power is being used.
I wanted answers to basic questions:
- Who has access?
- Why were those individuals given access?
- What searches are being conducted?
- What justification is being recorded for those searches?
- How frequently are audit records reviewed?
- How quickly is access terminated when someone leaves an agency?
- Which outside agencies can access Lamar County data?
What Flock Says vs. What the Records Raised
What the Records Revealed
663 Searches Under a Justice of the Peace Account
Audit records showed 663 searches under an account belonging to Lamar County Justice of the Peace Anson Amis.
The first recorded search under that account occurred on November 27, 2023, more than a year after he began serving as a Justice of the Peace.
Amis publicly confirmed that he had access to Flock and said he used the system while assisting law enforcement.
234 Searches After 5:00 PM
A review of the records found that 234 of the 663 searches associated with the account occurred after 5:00 PM.
Amis said that receiving requests from law enforcement after normal business hours was not unusual and denied wrongdoing.
Search Reasons Listed as "Unknown"
Some searches contained specific reasons such as burglary, theft, trespassing, or illegal dumping.
Numerous other searches listed the reason simply as "unknown."
Because Flock describes the search reason as part of its auditing and accountability system, those entries raise questions about how search justifications were being reviewed.
Former Employees Still Had Access
Sheriff Scott Cass publicly acknowledged that officers who no longer worked for the Sheriff's Office were discovered with access to the Flock system.
The Sheriff said those accounts were deactivated once the issue was discovered.
The "Dispatch1" Account
The audit materials also raised questions about a generically named account identified as Dispatch1.
The existence of a generic account does not by itself establish misuse. The question is whether searches conducted through that account can be reliably associated with the individual person who performed them.
I have requested additional information about how that account was used and controlled.
Timeline
First Search Under the Amis Account
The audit records show the first search under the account occurred on this date. Amis still had access, and was performing searches, through at least July 2026.
Public Records Requested
I requested Lamar County's Flock audit records and began reviewing the accounts, searches, and recorded justifications.
Audit Records Received
I received the local audit, network audit, and contract records from the Lamar County Sheriff's Office.
Audit Concerns Made Public
Findings from the audit records were publicly released, including questions surrounding account access and search activity.
Officials Respond Publicly
MyParisTexas reported on the audit records and published responses from Justice of the Peace Anson Amis and Sheriff Scott Cass.
Additional Questions & Records Requests
I continue to seek information regarding account authorization, audit procedures, network access, data sharing, and other unanswered questions.
Questions That Deserve Answers
Finding a problem is only the beginning. Good government requires understanding how it happened and making sure the public can see how these systems are being managed.
Where I Stand on Government Surveillance
As County Commissioner, I would oppose county funding for mass-surveillance systems, oppose renewal of contracts used to operate them, and require surveillance-related decisions to be discussed openly before the Commissioners Court.
As long as these systems remain in operation, I believe their contracts, costs, policies, access lists, audit records, and data-sharing arrangements deserve rigorous public oversight.
Read the Records Yourself
The underlying records should be available to residents, journalists, elected officials, and anyone else who wants to examine how the system has been used.
Additional records will be added here as they are obtained and reviewed.