Across Texas, the rapid spread of automatic license plate cameras is turning a crime-fighting tool into a growing privacy debate. In Cooke County, North Texas, around 16 Flock cameras scan passing plates and can instantly alert police to vehicles linked to crimes or missing-person cases, helping a small sheriff’s department cover roughly 900 square miles. Sheriff Ray Sappington says every search is audited to prevent abuse, but concerns are already visible on the ground - one camera was knocked over, its solar panel smashed and its lens painted over. For Texas law enforcement, the cameras offer extra eyes on the road; for residents, the bigger question is how closely those eyes should be allowed to watch.