Dallas police show how Flock cameras help officers solve crimes

Dallas Police want to convince the public that their fleet of more than 600 Flock cameras around the city is not randomly spying on you. 

The department gave CBS News Texas exclusive access to demonstrate how officers use the controversial law-enforcement tool amid concerns about privacy, surveillance, and potential misuse.

About 1,900 Dallas police officers and city employees have approved access to 684 Flock cameras scattered around the city. Officers can search for a vehicle by license plate or by entering a description. 

Police say they can not only catch criminals, but also find missing people. 

"It's probably been a godsend," Dallas Police Department Deputy Chief William Griffith said. "It's helped us quickly develop suspect leads."

Griffith said Flock cameras have been the primary investigative tool used to help solve 12 homicides this year and 15 last year, including a triple murder on Bernal Street.

Officers say they must know what they are searching for, which eliminates concerns about random viewing. 

During a demonstration for CBS News Texas, officers entered the license plate number of a CBS News Texas vehicle. The system returned 87 images showing the vehicle around the Dallas-Fort Worth area over the previous month.

Police say officers must know what they are searching for before accessing images, which the department says prevents officers from randomly viewing vehicles in the system.

Skeptics say the technology's surveillance capabilities raise concerns about potential misuse and over-surveillance. It's why DPD believes they've already had 26 cameras vandalized since March.

University of Texas at Dallas criminologist Timothy Bray said law enforcement agencies need strict policies governing access to the information.

"Just like any intelligence database, law enforcement agency procedures are supposed to be the first stop against misuse," Bray said.

Opposition to the cameras has also surfaced publicly. Social media posts have criticized the technology over privacy concerns, and Dallas police believe 26 Flock cameras have been vandalized since March. One camera shown to CBS News Texas had been spray-painted and knocked to the ground.

When asked whether he was surprised by the backlash, Griffith said he was.

The department conducts weekly audits of searches made through the system, Griffith said.

"If we see anything that doesn't look right, then those are sent to the supervisor for review," Griffith said.

Dallas police retain Flock camera information for one year, longer than the 30-day retention period used by some other agencies.

Griffith said the longer retention period can be important because investigators do not always immediately know which vehicle may be connected to a crime.

"We're not having someone watching to see where people go to church, or go to work, or go to the grocery store," Griffith said. 

Griffith also rejected concerns that officers routinely use the system to track people's everyday movements.

The technology continues to face scrutiny in Texas. Some state leaders have called for the removal of Flock cameras, while officials in Hood County recently decided to cover their cameras.

Dallas police say losing access to the technology would be a mistake.

"If they begin to see how efficient we have become and how quickly we can get closure to the victim and their family, I think they will understand how important it is," Griffith said.