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medium-high

IVS / Edge AI Research Brief

Overall assessment

Signal level

High on Texas network reality and public opinion. High on Central Texas / VA unwind. Low-to-medium on silicon (IQ-2390 is real, wrong TOPS class for IVS NVRs).

Notable trends

  1. Abbott freeze ≠ DPS dark: state poles stay, search gets gated.
  2. Chiefs now pause city-funded cameras using the freeze as cover (Elgin).
  3. Poll + Dallas keep-vote = elected officials vs. likely voters.
  4. Flock contracts bundle LPR + gunshot; DeFlock can orphan Raven.
  5. January TX session is the ban vs. audit fight.

Gaps

No new Axis/Genetec/Milestone/Hanwha camera SKU (GSX previews are access-power, not video). IQ-2390 eval kits are 2027. Tribune DPS camera count still undisclosed. Kolkhorst ban is a Facebook post, not a filed bill.

Signals (6)

  1. 1

    Abbott froze *new* Flock money — Texas DPS is keeping the cameras, and the graph is nationwide

    Key point

    DPS will pause additional installs but keep using existing roadside ALPRs for “legitimate public safety efforts.” Tribune review of June: ~615,000 searches of the DPS Flock network — once every four seconds. 48% from outside Texas (tens of thousands from FL and GA doing nationwide lookups). 3,075 agencies queried it (396 TX / 2,679 out-of-state). Houston PD 13% of searches; DPS officers <9%. >58,000 searches tagged “traffic infractions” (stop signs, following too closely). After Tribune asked why >2,800 agencies searched without agreements, DPS said Thursday it will limit access to the 206 Texas departments that have written deals. Hardware stays. DPS also has a $28.5M Flock contract (prior reporting).

    Why it matters

    The freeze was a procurement kill, not a network kill. Cities can bag poles and still be in the graph via DPS cameras on TxDOT ROW. The new control is agreement-gated search, not camera removal. Integrators: map who hosts vs who queries.

  2. 2

    TPPF / Overton poll: 64% of likely Texas voters oppose intersection ALPRs

    Key point

    Overton Insights for Texas Public Policy Foundation: 1,167 likely voters, ±2.9%. 63.6% somewhat or strongly oppose local-government ALPRs “such as Flock” at public intersections (51% strongly, 12.6% somewhat); 28.1% support; 8.3% unsure. Dem primary voters 76.2% oppose; GOP primary 54.7%. Liberals 84.8%, moderates ~two-thirds, “very conservative” 56.9%. Men 62.6% / women 64.6%. Conservative think tank — treat as directionally useful, not a city-level mandate. TPPF’s David Dunmoyer: Texas has never granted citizens title to their data; January session is the statute window.

    Why it matters

    Same week Dallas kept city Flock money, statewide likely voters are 2:1 against. January 2027 is when Kolkhorst-class ban vs. guardrail bills land. Sales decks that only cite PD clearance rates will lose the dais.

  3. 3

    Elgin PD pauses **all** 25 Flock units — city general-fund cameras, not just the grant

    Key point

    Noble to mayor/acting CM: pause effective immediately until elected officials say resume or cancel. Mix: 13 cameras on general fund + 12 cameras and a mobile trailer on MVCPA. He learned of Abbott’s freeze that morning and chose to pause the whole stack, not just the grant slice. “Stained this investigative tool; irreparably, I fear.” Cites deep-dive audits, limited users, supervisory inspections — and still walks. Discussions with Flock on pause vs. cancel.

    Why it matters

    Inverse of Dallas: a chief voluntarily darked city-paid poles because the brand is radioactive. Abbott’s order is being used as cover to pause non-state cameras. Expect more “follow the governor” letters that overshoot the freeze.

  4. 4

    Bastrop bags 12 cameras now; terminate vote is **Sept. 8**

    Key point

    Unanimous: cover all 12 city-owned Flock cameras immediately; Councilmember Cynthia Meyer’s motion puts contract termination on Sept. 8. Mayor Ishmael Harris: ALPRs can be a valuable tool; “public safety isn’t our only responsibility. Public trust is as well.” Some HOA/business/other-agency cameras remain. Flock to KXAN: defined off-boarding — platform access disabled, cameras remotely deactivated, then physical removal; remote off anytime if asked. Liberty Hill still on the Sept. 9 calendar.

    Why it matters

    Central Texas now has a two-step playbook: bag first, terminate next meeting. Flock’s remote-off statement is the SLA to put in every exit clause so you are not waiting on a boom truck.

  5. 5

    Lynchburg 6–0 to end Flock — 15 ALPRs **and** 54 gunshot sensors

    Key point

    Special meeting: 6–0 (Vice Mayor Diemer absent) to empower the manager to notice Flock out. Contract is 15 cameras + 54 Flock gunshot detectors (2023, 4–3 original vote). Cameras offline since Aug. 19 (no identified local misuse). Staff could not say whether termination covers mics as well as cameras, or a date certain for ROW removal. Early-exit fee fight: ~$35k ($500/device in an amended contract). Tuesday vote on takedown date vs. letting it expire mid-April 2027. Cardinal News: ≥20 VA localities have paused/canceled since July; Amherst and Bedford cited “discrepancies” with Flock this week.

    Why it matters

    Flock is not just LPR in this deal — Raven-class gunshot rides the same contract. Cities that “DeFlock” may also orphan acoustic sensors. $500/device is the buyout number to model. VA wave is now council + sheriff, not just sheriffs.

  6. 6

    Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-2390 / IQ-2390: 1.1 TOPS, two cameras, industrial temp — not an NVR SoC

    Key point

    First IQ2 industrial SKU plus a commercial twin. Shared: 1× A78 + 3× A55 @ ≤1.9 GHz, Hexagon NPU 1.1 TOPS, Adreno 704, optional RISC-V MCU, 2 cameras (25 MP / 13+13), 1080p30, 2× 1GbE (TSN on IQ), LPDDR4x, −30 to +115 °C, longevity through 2036. Q-2390 adds LTE Cat 4 + GNSS (access control, kiosks, POS named). Linux Yocto / Ubuntu / Android / Zephyr. Eval kits Q1 2027; IFA SOMs now. Eight Development CEO cited security, fire, life safety, building automation.

    Why it matters

    Do not confuse with IQ8’s 40 dense TOPS. This is a door station / single-cam industrial vision / access chip. Useful for NDAA-ish edge nodes that need TSN + 10-year supply, useless as a 16-channel analytics box. Eval kits are 2027 — paper silicon until then.