The Bandera City Council is set to meet Tuesday evening to revisit the possible installation of Flock camera systems, following a recent incident involving a camera on Highway 16 S just outside the city limits.
Bandera County Sheriff Josh Tietge clarified that the camera involved in the incident was not a Flock camera but a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) unit.
“We don’t have any Flock cameras,” Tietge said.
Despite the clarification, Mayor Denise Griffin said the city’s contract with Flock remains active.
“At this time, the city has a contract in place, so we are moving forward as if nothing has changed,” Griffin said. “There is an item on the agenda for the 24th to discuss the Flock cameras again. I am not sure what the council might do with that.”
The city has received $14,000 from the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority to cover most of the $17,000 cost of installing four Flock cameras—three Falcon models and one Condor model—at key entrances and exits of Bandera.
Residents raised concerns about the cameras at a town hall meeting in February, citing privacy issues and government overreach.
Currently, only one Flock camera has been installed. The Condor camera, placed near the Tractor Supply on Highway 173, was quickly vandalized and removed. No other cameras have been installed, Griffin said.
The vandalized Condor camera is under investigation by the Bandera Marshal’s Office. Because the damaged camera in the recent Highway 16 incident was a TxDOT unit, the Texas Department of Public Safety will handle that investigation. Bandera Bulletin has requested confirmation on whether the camera was vandalized or fell naturally and will update the story when more information is available.
Residents wishing to attend the council meeting can go to City Hall, 511 Main Street, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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