Flock Cameras At Texas Splash Pad Raise Questions Parents Want Answered

If you have kids, you've probably spent at least part of the summer standing around a Lubbock splash pad wondering how long it is going to take before somebody gets water on your shoes.

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But a controversy right here in Texas, is turning attention away from the water and toward the cameras surrounding one popular city park.

Lubbock splash pad locations:

What's Going On in Anna?

The issue centers around Slayter Creek Park, a large city park in the DFW-area city of Anna, Texas that includes a splash pad, skatepark, pump track, playground, sports fields and other amenities. The city's website says the splash pad has a 24-hour video security system in use.

Recently, a video circulating online has sparked concern among parents who say several cameras in the park appear to be pointed toward the splash pad, playground and skatepark.

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Posts circulating on Reddit identify the cameras as Flock cameras and claim there are eight of them around the children's recreational areas. That claim, however, has not been independently confirmed by the City of Anna, and the city's website does not identify the cameras as Flock equipment.

And that's an important distinction.

​"If they are license plate readers, why are they pointed at a splash pad?" — Parents raise concerns as 8 government Flock cameras monitor children's play areas in Slayter Creek Park, Texas.
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Flock Cameras Are Getting Plenty of Attention

Flock Safety cameras have become a major subject of debate across Texas. The technology is generally associated with automated license-plate recognition, allowing law enforcement to collect information about vehicles and license plates.

Supporters say the cameras are useful crime-fighting tools. Critics argue that interconnected surveillance networks raise legitimate questions about privacy, data retention and government access.

That debate has gotten particularly loud in other Texas communities, including Conroe, Boerne, League City, and even here in Lubbock where residents and officials have been questioning whether the benefits outweigh the privacy concerns.

Janelle St Pierre, Getty Images

What We Know—and What We Don't

The City of Anna clearly acknowledges that video security is operating at the splash pad. It also tells parents to supervise their children while using the facility.

What hasn't been established is whether the cameras shown in the viral video are actually Flock license-plate readers, whether they record the splash-pad area intentionally, what footage they capture, or how any recordings are stored or accessed.

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Those questions are exactly why the issue has gotten so much attention.

For parents, the concern is pretty straightforward: if a camera is pointed toward an area where children are playing in swimsuits, people understandably want to know what that camera is, what it records and who can see the footage.

Until Anna officials provide more specifics, there's a lot of speculation...and not nearly enough confirmed information.

I'll keep you updated on this story.