LEAGUE CITY – Flock cameras across League City are being covered after voters rejected City Proposition A, with more than 50% casting a “No” vote in this week’s election.

City leaders and staff held a press conference Thursday morning before crews bagged the first camera. The city says two trucks are working throughout the day and that all cameras should be bagged by the end of the day.

Mayor Nick Long said the license plate reader cameras have been a hot-button issue across Texas and the nation. He said the idea of putting the question to voters came from the police chief.

“It’s been a hot button issue across Texas and the nation. A suggestion by the police chief to put it on the ballot. We are committed to the citizens,” Long said.

Long acknowledged the cameras were effective. He said they have helped solve high-profile cases, more than 300 in all, but that privacy concerns persisted.

“No doubt the cameras work. High profile cases have been solved because of the cameras, over 300 cases, they work, but they have privacy concerns,” Long said.

He said some of those concerns centered on what happened to the data once it left the city’s hands.

“When the data left and went into the cloud, I think there were concerns, like was the data being resold?” Long said.

Although the cameras are being bagged, the city’s contract with Flock will not end for another year, Long said. The money that had been allocated for Flock will be redistributed to the police department for other expenses.

Long said the cameras were not expensive to operate, and that the department will likely feel their absence.

“These were not expensive, unfortunately officers will not be able to replicate these same results,” Long said.

Cameras will remain bagged, and will be physically removed, after the contract with Flock ends.