Travis County
County record. Includes every city and agency within Travis County.
Technology presence
What these categories mean
- ALPR
- Automated license plate readers (ALPR): camera systems that automatically capture, read, and log vehicle license plates with location and time, producing a searchable record of vehicle movements.
- Fixed cameras & RTCC
- Agency-operated fixed video cameras and the real-time crime centers (RTCC) that aggregate live and recorded feeds for monitoring. Extends the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Atlas, which enumerates real-time crime centers and camera registries but not standalone fixed-camera estates.
- Face recognition
- Software that matches faces in images or video against a reference database to identify or verify individuals.
- Drones / UAS
- Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), commonly called drones, operated by an agency for overhead observation, imaging, or sensing.
- Gunshot detection
- Networks of acoustic sensors that detect and locate suspected gunfire and alert an agency.
- Body-worn & dashcam
- Officer body-worn and in-vehicle dashboard cameras that record encounters; public access to the footage is frequently restricted.
- Doorbell & camera registry
- Programs that give an agency access to privately owned camera footage: doorbell-camera partnerships, citizen camera registries, and private-camera integration platforms.
- Cell-site simulators
- Devices that mimic cell towers to locate or identify nearby mobile phones. They are often called Stingrays, or IMSI catchers after the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number that identifies each phone on a network. Adjacent: communications surveillance outside the visual/sensor core.
- Predictive policing
- Software that forecasts where crime may occur or who may be involved, to direct policing. Adjacent: analytics rather than a sensing deployment.
- Social-media monitoring
- Tools that collect and analyze public social-media activity for an agency. Adjacent: open-source/communications monitoring outside the visual/sensor core.
The record, by agency
Bee Cave Police Department
The Bee Cave Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers, according to data obtained in July 2025.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Muckrock
The Bee Cave Police Department has used drones as first responders.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): DroneLifeFox7 AustinAustin American-Statesman
Lago Vista Police Department
The Lago Vista Police Department uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers, according to data obtained in July 2025.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Muckrock
Manor Police Department
The Manor Police Department has installed 10 Flock Safety automated license plate readers, according to data obtained in July 2025.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Muckrock
Lakeway Police Department
The Lakeway Police Department operates eight Flock Safety automated license plate readers and other cameras as of June 2025. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Flock Safety
The Lakeway Police Department was the first police department in Texas to use body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): KXANCity of Lakeway
Austin Police Department
The Austin Police Department uses face recognition software.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): ID Tech Wire
The Austin Police Department started its drone program in 2019. As of late 2021, the agency has 16 DJI Mavics and one Skydio drone.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Drone Life
The Austin Police Department purchased automated license plate readers in 2016 from Vigilant Solutions for $50,000, and expanded that system for an estimated $350,000.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Austin American-StatesmanVigilant SolutionsAustin Police Department
The Austin Police Department has operated a real-time crime center since 2010. The RTCC cost about $750,000 and was paid for without city funds through a federal grant. The RTCC accesses a network of 1000 H.A.L.O., or High Activity Location Observation, surveillance cameras throughout the city.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Strategic Partnerships Inc.KVUECity of Austin official website
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded $750,000 to the Austin Police Department in 2016 as part of the Bureau of Justice Assistance's body-worn camera grant program.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): U.S Department of Justice
The Austin Police Department maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Data Austin Texas
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety signed a five-year contract with Clearview AI for a maximum amount of $1,218,516.00. The contract is valid from January 31, 2025 to January 30, 2025. In 2019, the agency also spent $24,000 for a 12 month subscription with Clearview AI face recognition technology.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): MuckRockTexas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety spent $13 million on Axon body-worn cameras in 2025. The agency also spent $1.5 million on Motorola body-worn cameras over a four-year term.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety collects, retains for 3 years, and shares automated license plate reader data.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Texas Department of Public SafetyTexas Department of Motor VehiclesTexas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) maintains the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles photo repository, which includes a face recognition system established by state statute. The statute also requires that DPS use the face recognition system to aid law enforcement agencies in conducting criminal investigations. The DPS also has an agreement to respond to face recognition requests from FBI’s FACE Services.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Electronic Frontier FoundationGovernment Accountability Office
The Texas Department of Public Safety operates 17 Aeryon Labs drones as of 2016, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.mysanantonio.com
The Texas Department of Public Safety acquired cell-site simulator technology in 2014, according data compiled by Kevin Collier for Vocativ.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): VocativKevin CollierAustin Chronicle
West Lake Hills Police Department
The West Lake Hills Police Department entered a two-year contract with Insight Public Sector, a reseller of Flock products, totaling $59,850.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Community Impact
Texas University Systems Police Department
The Texas University Systems Police Department submitted a policy related to drones and the use of force to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Texas Commission On Law Enforcement
Pflugerville Police Department
As of April 2024, the Pflugerville Police Department operates 28 Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Flock SafetyThe News & ObserverThe News & Observer
The Pflugerville Police Department maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Pflugerville
Sunset Valley Police Department
The Sunset Valley Police Department received $10,700 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to purchase 10 body-worn cameras through the 2022 Small, Rural, Tribal BWC Microgrant program.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Small, Rural, and Tribal Body-Worn Camera microgrant grantee list
The Sun Valley City Council approved "an agreement with Flock Safety for a public surveillance camera program for an amount not to exceed $27,500" in November 2021.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Sunset Valley Council Minutes
University of Texas Austin Police Department
The University of Texas Austin Police Department purchased about 80 Axon body-worn cameras in 2017.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Inside Higher EdUT NewsUT Austin Police Facebook page
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Division
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Division operates one DJI Inspire drone as of 2018, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegetpwd.texas.gov
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department purchased Wolfcom body-worn cameras in 2013.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Facebookfinancial report from 2013 states wolfcom bought cameras
Austin Independent School District Police Department
Austin ISD Police Department acquired 89 new Axon body-worn cameras in 2019 and had used them for nearly 10 years prior to that.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): KVUE ABC
Source: EFF Atlas of Surveillance (Electronic Frontier Foundation & University of Nevada, Reno — Reynolds School of Journalism) · CC BY 4.0 · retrieved July 2026