Lawmakers added $1 to Texans’ car insurance policies. That money paid for thousands of Flock cameras.

The higher fee, meant to combat catalytic converter theft, provided millions to expand the Flock network across Texas. Some lawmakers say that wasn’t the intent.

More than a dozen local law enforcement agencies across the country have used opioid settlement money to procure Flock cameras and other AI-powered automated license plate readers (ALPRs), an investigation by Mother Jones has found. Settlement funds began flowing to states and localities in 2022, after major pharmaceut