The 44 Flock license plate reader cameras in the Spring area will stay on.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey's office told FOX 26 that all 44 fixed cameras in his precinct remain operational, at a cost of $125,000 a year. The announcement puts Ramsey on the opposite side of Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, who ordered all 61 of her precinct's Flock cameras covered and decommissioned on Oct. 8.

The split sets up a showdown when Commissioners Court takes up the cameras' future next week.

Why it matters for Spring

Spring is unincorporated and falls within Precinct 3. The 44 cameras here are part of a countywide network of roughly 480 automated license plate readers, most owned by municipal utility districts, homeowners associations and commissioner precincts but administered by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, according to Community Impact.

Ramsey posted on Instagram on Oct. 8, the same day Briones shut her cameras down, calling Flock "proven technology" and saying he trusts officers to use it responsibly, Community Impact reported.

The county divide

Briones' 61 cameras included 13 license plate readers and 48 security cameras across nine parks and facilities, FOX 26 reported. Her office said it consulted with the Harris County Attorney's Office before acting and that deactivating the cameras did not violate the county's Flock contract, according to KPRC.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said his office has never deployed Flock cameras and supports Briones' decision. Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia's office had not responded to FOX 26's inquiry as of Monday, Oct. 12.

Ramsey's office pointed out that the county's cameras remain under contract and are still being paid for, whether covered or not. The office cited an annual county budget of about $870,000 for the system.

How the contract got here

Commissioners Court renewed an $868,975 contract with Flock Safety on May 28. The four precinct commissioners voted in favor.

County Judge Lina Hidalgo abstained.

"I think we're all just making a charade of this," Hidalgo said before the May 28 vote, pushing to delay the renewal for more public discussion, Community Impact reported.

On Sept. 17, Commissioners Court directed county staff to prepare a comprehensive report on the cameras covering spending, locations, data access and privacy safeguards. That report is due at the Oct. 15 meeting.

Axios reported in September that Harris County has the most community-mapped Flock cameras of any U.S. county, with more than 4,000 automated plate readers logged.

What's next

Commissioners Court meets Thursday, Oct. 15, at 9 a.m. at 1001 Preston St. in Houston. The meeting is also available via livestream. The agenda item, placed by County Judge Hidalgo's office, calls for a presentation, discussion and possible action on the cameras' future countywide.