Flock Safety has spent years putting license plate reading cameras on poles at intersections, neighborhood entrances, and business parking lots. Now the company says it’s deploying camera-equipped drones, and they’re already active in Fort Worth along with many other cities nationwide. More deployments are expected in the coming months.

The timing stands out in Texas, where the ground version of the technology has hit some resistance. The state paused installation of new Flock cameras along state roads, and some constables have removed cameras from their areas entirely. That’s the backdrop as the company shifts part of its focus upward, where a drone can cover far more ground than a fixed camera ever could.

Supporters see real benefits: fewer long police chases, faster help finding a stolen vehicle, and a tool for retail theft that plagues shopping centers. Critics see a different picture, one where surveillance follows you past the public street and over the fence. Waxahachie hasn’t been named in any deployment plans, but growth has a way of bringing new technology to town before anyone holds a meeting about it. So what do you think: should drones be part of local policing, or is the pole camera enough?