Thackerville Police to End Flock Camera Contract

The Thackerville Police Department announced it will end its contract with Flock Safety, closing out its use of camera technology after reviewing whether the system fit the department’s budget, staffing and local needs, Chief Johnathan Buckaloo said in a public statement.

For Cooke County readers, the decision comes in the Red River area where license plate reader systems have been considered or used by public agencies on both sides of the state line.

Buckaloo said the department looked at its current needs, available resources, costs and the system’s value to the community before deciding to terminate the contract. He framed the move as a matter of responsible use of taxpayer and department funds, and of choosing services that match Thackerville’s cost and operational needs.

The chief said technology can assist law enforcement, but said it should not take the place of regular officer work, communication with residents, relationships with citizens or police presence in the community.

Flock describes its platform as being used by more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies and more than 6,000 communities. The company’s license plate reader policy says its system can collect images of vehicles and plates, plate numbers and states, vehicle characteristics, times, dates and camera locations. The policy also says searches are kept for auditing with details that can include the user, search purpose, plate and other query information.

A Cooke County Commissioners Court agenda for Feb. 10, 2025, listed a consent-agenda item to let the county judge sign a Flock Safety contract for high-speed license plate recognition cameras and equipment for the sheriff’s department for crime detection and prevention.

In nearby southern Oklahoma, Marietta City Council minutes say council members considered Flock Safety license plate reader cameras at a special meeting on Aug. 20, 2026, then voted 6-0 on a motion not to go forward with the camera.

Thackerville’s public safety landscape also includes the Chickasaw Nation’s WinStar Precinct. The Chickasaw Nation says the precinct is based in Thackerville, serves WinStar and covers territory across five counties.

Flock said in an Aug. 13, 2026, company post that it was changing its recommended default automated license plate reader retention period from 30 days to seven days. The company said it also planned to require audit assistance and case codes for law enforcement searches by the end of 2026, with emergency bypasses marked for administrator review.

Flock’s current license plate reader policy says LPR data is hard-deleted on a rolling seven-day default schedule unless a customer’s law or policy requires a different retention period.