Editor's Note: Emails obtained by the Bulletin in an open record request are available at the bottom of this story.
Despite mounting public opposition and growing concerns among council members, newly obtained emails show Bandera city officials continued advancing the city's contract with Flock Safety Systems, with Mayor Denise Griffin directing staff in late March to proceed with camera installations even as efforts to cancel the agreement were underway.
The emails, obtained by The Bulletin, provide new insight into how city leadership handled the automated license plate reader program in the months leading up to the Bandera City Council's May vote to terminate the contract.
After City Administrative Assistant Stephanie Biggs sought guidance on how to proceed with Flock Safety amid growing concerns from residents and council members, Griffin issued a clear directive in a March 26 email.
"I want the installations to go on as usual. We have a contract and they need to be installed as scheduled," Griffin wrote.
The instruction came just two days after the issue returned to the council agenda for the first time since Council Member Deanna McCabe requested discussion of the contract in January and one day after city officials acknowledged privately that opposition to the program appeared unlikely to soften.
The Bulletin compiled the following timeline of events:
• May 13, 2025 — Former council member Brett Hicks and council members Lynn Palmer and Debbie Breen voted in favor of Resolution 2025-019, authorizing the City of Bandera to apply for the 2026 Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority SB 224 Catalytic Converter Grant. Presented by former City Manager Stan Farmer, the resolution included exploring the feasibility of partnering with Flock Safety Systems.
• Oct. 14, 2025 — Former council member Tony Battle and council members Jeff Flowers, Lynn Palmer and Debbie Breen approved Resolution 2025-035, authorizing the Marshal's Office to enter into a multiple-use agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for the installation and operation of automated license plate recognition cameras within TxDOT rights-of-way. Hicks was absent.
• Jan. 13 — McCabe requested that Flock Safety be placed on a future council agenda for discussion.
• Feb. 9 — Biggs warned company officials that council members were already signaling they would likely end the agreement when it expired.
"Council is already leaning toward not renewing the contract once it expires," Biggs wrote. "That would be a shame and terrible waste of everyone's time and efforts. Not to mention money."
• Feb. 28 — A public town hall on Flock Safety drew significant resident opposition to the program.
• March 8 — The city paid a $17,000 invoice to Flock Safety. Former interim city manager and current City Secretary Jill Dickerson later drew criticism for authorizing the payment after residents had publicly opposed the contract. "The invoice was paid because, per our agreement, it was due and council did not direct us to not pay it," Dickerson told the Bulletin.
• March 24 — Flock Safety returned to the council agenda for the first time since McCabe's January request. McCabe attempted to cancel the contract, but the motion was tabled after City Attorney Matt Grove failed to provide a copy of the agreement during discussion in which financial concerns were raised. Dickerson added Flock to the agenda, the first time since McCabe's Jan. 13 request.
• March 25 — Emails show city officials discussing growing opposition to the program. After a Flock representative suggested one-on-one meetings with skeptical council members, Biggs responded, "I just don't know if they're willing to 'hear' the facts." Griffin added, "We have had someone here to explain it and the naysayers aren't changing their minds."
• March 26 — Griffin instructed staff to notify Flock Safety that camera installations should continue despite the uncertainty surrounding the contract.
• May 12 — Council members McCabe, Breen and Morrow voted to terminate the contract, while Flowers and Palmer voted against cancellation. The motion carried.
Emails obtained by The Bulletin show city officials were aware months before the May vote that support for the contract was eroding.
The correspondence also shows Biggs sharing a video of residents speaking against the company with Flock Public Affairs Manager Kerry McCormack so the company could "see some of the things we're up against." She additionally requested examples of successful Flock programs that could be publicized locally.
Following payment of the invoice on March 8, concerns about the contract's future persisted. Ahead of the March 24 council meeting, Biggs again warned Flock officials that cancellation appeared increasingly likely. Correspondence reviewed by The Bulletin indicates city staff believed efforts to persuade skeptical council members would be unsuccessful.
Despite acknowledging the growing opposition and the possibility that the contract could ultimately be terminated, Griffin directed that camera installations proceed as planned.
Biggs' concerns about cancellation continued through April, though the issue did not return to the council agenda until May 12, when the contract was formally terminated. When Biggs notified Flock of the council's decision, a company representative replied that the city would not be charged any fees for removing the cameras.
During a special meeting June 2, Dickerson told the council the city was in the process of seeking reimbursement from Flock Safety Systems.
Also on June 2, Biggs submitted her resignation as the city's administrative assistant and grant coordinator.
"She's given us a week," newly appointed City Manager Toni Kunz told the council. "We are doing our best to accommodate that."
Griffin declined to respond to the Bulletin's request for comment.
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