Austin officials could deploy a mobile security trailer to city parks to tamp down burglaries — even as they consider ways to exert more control over surveillance initiatives.

Why it matters: Some parks have seen more than 100 vehicle burglaries annually, and a pilot project suggested security cameras can help lower crime.

Driving the news: On Thursday, Austin City Council members will consider a three-year contract for as much as $2 million with Utah-based LiveView Technologies for the rental of a mobile security trailer and other monitoring services.

What they're saying: The contract is meant "to foster a safer and more secure environment for all park visitors," Jesús Aguirre, director of Austin Parks, wrote in a memo last week to council members.

By the numbers: A pilot project launched several years ago saw drops in crime in nine of the 15 parks in which cameras were deployed.

The intrigue: The parks security system "will not use facial recognition, biometric identification technology, audio capture, or autonomous analytics," per Aguirre's memo.

Flashback: The council held off on a vote on the LiveView Technologies contract in August, not long after the city ended its automatic license plate reader program over data privacy concerns.

Kevin Welch, president of EFF-Austin, a digital civil liberties nonprofit, tells Axios his group is opposed to the proposed contract.

• "Data collected is data that can be misused or leaked," Welch says.

The other side: The city would be the exclusive owner of all system data and LiveView would be barred from accessing, sharing or using the footage for any purpose, per Aguirre's memo.

The big picture: This week, council members will also consider a resolution that would require city departments to get approval from the council before acquiring new surveillance technology.

• "As these technologies become more powerful and pervasive, the city has a responsibility to be transparent, accountable, and clear about how they're used, who has access to the data, and how residents' rights are protected," Mayor Pro Tem José "Chito" Vela, one of the resolution's sponsors, said in a statement.

😋 Asher here, always on the hunt for great tacos.

I had been hearing a lot lately about the recently opened brick-and-mortar incarnation of Paprika on North Lamar Boulevard, a few blocks south of Airport Boulevard.

• Paprika was anointed purveyor of the "It" taco shortly after its food truck opened in 2019.

Yes, but: Its significance goes beyond food. Husband-and-wife owners Margarito and Hayden Pérez were arrested during an anti-ICE protest at the Capitol in June — Margarito was charged with interference with public duties and resisting arrest and Hayden with failure to obey a lawful order and harassment of a public servant.

• In an interview posted in December, Margarito Pérez, who made his way through high school selling his own tortas, told taco podcaster Mando Rayo that "what has kept me from running away from Austin and the United States . . . is knowing that there are other folks that maybe can't make that decision and . . . letting them know . . . they are represented."

Zoom in: My wife and I had food on the brain during a recent visit, trying every type of taco on the menu — suadero (brisket); carnitas; tinga de pollo (chipotle-braised chicken); nopalitos; champiñones.

• The tacos are $4 each; add a dollar if you want melted cheese.
• They're filling — but so yummy and juicy we soon went for seconds.

The vibe: Laid-back, brisk, friendly, bare-bones with a rotating cast of specials and aguas frescas.

Six-word review: So good, you'll double your order.

🚀 The University of Texas System has signed an agreement with NASA to support space exploration and national security. (The Daily Texan)

🤖 An Austin business lost $78,000 to a sophisticated fraud scheme. (KVUE)

🍔 Shake Shack is planning a location in northeast Austin. (Austin American-Statesman 🔒)

📣 President Trump says an endorsement is still on the table in the Republican U.S. Senate race in Texas. (Houston Chronicle)

Your favorite Super Bowl foods keep getting more expensive.

The big picture: Grocery prices were up roughly 2.4% in December compared to a year earlier, weighing on household budgets even as overall inflation held steady.

By the numbers: Prices for meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fruits, veggies, alcohol and soft drinks all rose over the past year, according to federal data.

• Still, prices for those Super Bowl picks are increasing at a slower pace than a few years ago.

Between the lines: Certain household and watch-party staples saw double-digit price hikes from the prior year, including beef (+16%) and candy (+10%).

Stunning stat: U.S. consumers continue to face higher prices than before the pandemic, with prices for all items up 26% since December 2019.

The bottom line: Consider cutting back on wings and soda for the game on Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

Part of the pleasure of flying out of the Austin airport is grabbing a bite on the way to the airplane.

By the numbers: Airport officials have just released stats on just how much food and drink travelers picked up at airport concessions in 2025, including:

• 94,249 pounds of brisket from The Salt Lick BBQ.
• 86,273 eggs, 26,294 burgers, and 27,835 beers at 24 Diner.
• And 216,903 smoothies and 10,641 juices at JuiceLand.

The bottom line: Flight delays hurt a little less with a brisket sandwich.