Lawmakers added $1 to Texans’ car insurance policies. The money paid for thousands of Flock cameras.
In 2023, the Texas Legislature unanimously passed a law raising auto insurance costs for Texans by $1 to combat rampant catalytic converter theft. Three years later, a little-known state agency has devoted at least $30 million of that…
In 2023, the Texas Legislature unanimously voted to increase auto insurance premiums for residents by $1 in an effort to curb the surge in catalytic converter thefts. According to an analysis by The Texas Tribune, the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, a state agency appointed by Governor Greg Abbott, has utilized at least $30 million of this fee to enhance the state's Flock surveillance network.
This network now comprises over 3,200 Flock cameras installed along highways and streets from the Louisiana border to El Paso. The agency has also granted funds to law enforcement agencies for purchasing and maintaining around 2,000 of these cameras, with an additional $15.9 million allocated to the Texas Department of Public Safety to add approximately 1,200 more.
Despite further funding earmarked for the installation of 583 more cameras along Texas tollways in early August, Governor Abbott's office announced on Friday evening that all state funding for local grants for Flock cameras will be paused.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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