Denver council meets about mayor's Flock camera announcement: "Decisions are being made without true collaboration"

Flock cameras have become the center of a growing debate among Denver city leaders.

Mayor Mike Johnston plans to extend the city's contract with Flock Safety, the company behind Denver's network of automated license plate readers that can identify vehicles linked to criminal investigations -- even after the Denver City Council voted against the contract extension earlier this year.

The cameras scan license plates to help solve crimes, but several council members say their concerns about data privacy and transparency have yet to be addressed.

For the first time, council members met publicly on Wednesday to discuss the mayor's decision to move forward with the Flock system for five more months.

"Decisions are being made without any kind of true collaboration," said Council member Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez.

Others said the Surveillance Task Force -- which was created to provide oversight -- has been left out of key conversations.

"The task force was never even told about those potential terms. So task force members would have heard about it now from the media," said Council member Sarah Parady.

The mayor's office says Johnston agreed to extend the contract because Flock implemented new safeguards that include a $100,000 fine for unauthorized data disclosure and restricting access solely to Denver police.

Police Chief Ron Thomas defended the system, calling it an essential tool for solving crimes.

"Auto theft was our primary focus for the ultimately 111 cameras and we looked at not necessarily just where auto thefts were occurring, but the locations of egress from those locations," Thomas said.

Tim Hoffman, the mayor's director of policy, said the administration is working to balance public safety with privacy.

"We are always, when it comes to law enforcement and public safety, balancing the very real need for public safety in this city against civil liberties and privacy considerations of all of its residents," Hoffman said.

Council member Amanda Sawyer expressed frustration with the lack of progress addressing community concerns.

"We do not need to reinvent the wheel on this and what I feel very frustrated about is that we are here at the end of October and nothing has been done about that," Sawyer said. "So whether it is council who should do that or the executive branch's policy division who should do that -- I don't really care. Someone do it. I am over this."

The contract with Flock Safety is set to expire in early 2026. City leaders say they plan to revisit the agreement while developing stronger privacy protections and a more collaborative oversight process.