Orange County, TX — The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that it will not move forward at this time with a grant request to deploy fixed license plate reader cameras across the county.
According to Sheriff Bobby Smith, the decision followed a review of the proposed agreement, funding requirements, permitting process, long-term costs, staffing demands and concerns raised by community members.
OCSO had requested authorization from the Orange County Commissioners Court on May 26 to apply for funding through the 2026 Project Safe Neighborhoods Program for a License Plate Reader Camera Deployment Project.
The sheriff’s office said the proposed cameras were intended to support legitimate criminal investigations and public-safety operations, including identifying stolen vehicles, locating vehicles associated with wanted or missing persons and developing investigative leads.
However, the proposed locations were on state roadways and would have required an extensive Texas Department of Transportation approval process. Officials also identified concerns involving recurring annual costs, automatic contract renewals, advance financial commitments and other contractual provisions.
OCSO said the project is not considered an immediate priority and the agency will instead pause the proposal, gather community input and reevaluate before considering a similar project in the future.
The sheriff’s office emphasized that no grant funding has been received, no contract has been signed, no equipment has been obtained or installed and Orange County has incurred no financial obligation related to the proposal.