Tony Teixeira would vote again for Bristol's Flock camera
Tony TeixeiraBristol town councilor (I) running for reelection
Bristol Town Councilor Tony Teixeira said he voted for the Flock camera and would do it again, citing police searches for missing or abducted people, and said it is one camera at the bridge approved with parameters.
“I voted in favor, and I would do it again. As my colleague Nathan Calouro already mentioned, “How many of us have children? How many of us have family members that have dementia and so forth?” If they leave your house, you cannot find them, and they are abducted, or they get into a situation where they get injured, hurt, or killed, does the police department have the tools that they need to pursue or do the search? We’re missing that. We approved one camera at the bridge, not in town. There’s a big difference between having an eye on you versus an eye on the bridge, which keeps the flow and can assist, whether it’s the local or the state police. So I support that, although it was already mentioned, we set parameters. We didn’t just approve it outright.”
Original text
Where this statement fits
Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Networked automated license-plate readers record passing vehicles and let agencies search or share travel records across locations. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to prohibit these networks, keep them with legal limits, or defend their use for investigations. This tracker records attributable positions on that choice, including proposals that would affect only public funding or data access.
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Original text
About this source
Steve Ahlquist published a transcript, edited for clarity, and video of the Bristol Town Council candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island and the East Bay Media Group at the Bristol State House.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
At a Bristol Town Council candidate forum on Sept. 24, 2026, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island and the East Bay Media Group, candidates answered questions about the council's approval of one Rhode Island State Police Flock camera. Remarks are as transcribed, and edited for clarity, by Steve Ahlquist.
After the quotation
Councilor Mary Parella then said Bristol put guardrails in place before approving the camera and that the approval sunsets in 18 months.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Teixeira says he voted for the camera and would do it again, citing searches for missing or abducted people. He notes the council set parameters, but his support does not depend on a further condition, so Defended or excused fits.
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- People and groups discussed
- Flock Safety
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“I believe flock cameras should be banned.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Tony Teixeira would vote again for Bristol's Flock camera". First published: 2026-09-29. Last updated: 2026-09-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/3165-bristol-town-councilor-tony-teixeira-said-he-voted