Denver extends contract for Flock cameras with new safeguards against sharing with immigration enforcement
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced on Wednesday that the city will extend the contract for the Flock Safety camera program, but it will come with extra safeguards to prevent the data from being shared widely.
The potential use of the Flock camera system has been a point of debate in the Denver City Council for some time. Cameras installed at 70 intersections across Denver capture images of vehicles and their license plates as they pass through, a tool that police say has been instrumental in reducing auto theft and solving other crimes. But the potential for invasion of privacy has continued to be a concern to members of the council.
Johnston says the city will offer a no-cost contract extension to Flock Safety for five months as it evaluates the new security measures. The mayor's office stated that Denver license plate reader data is no longer accessible to outside agencies, and sharing the data with the federal government would result in a $100,000 fine and possible termination of the contract.
In a similar move to several other cities, Johnston said the city requested that Flock switch off access to Denver's data by the nationwide lookup system in the spring of 2025. From there, it was only allowed to be used by Colorado law enforcement agencies. Now, access is restricted to only DPD and law enforcement agencies that have signed a memorandum of understanding with the City and County of Denver. Sharing the data with the federal government for immigration enforcement will result in losing access to the data and a referral to the Colorado Attorney General's Office for prosecution. As part of the contract, Johnston says federal agents assigned to a Denver task force will not be given access to search through Denver's license plate reader data.
"In Denver, we believe you can be a city that is just as tough on fighting crime as it is protecting someone's civil liberties," said Johnston. "That's why we're taking steps not seen anywhere else in the country to ensure this technology is wielded responsibly and that our data stays out of the federal government's hands. I've made clear to Flock's leadership that I expect total transparency and that anything less will result in an end to our relationship. To their credit, they have agreed to our terms and will build a Denver-specific package that will lead the way in using this technology for the public good."
Since Denver's Flock program began in 2024, the city says it has given the Denver Police Department's crime fighting efforts a big boost. They attributed the following actions to the program in a news release on the city's website:
- The arrests of 352 people
- The recovery of 39 firearms
- The recovery of more than 250 stolen vehicles
"It is not an exaggeration to say that individuals suspected of the worst crimes could still be on the streets if not for this technology," said Police Chief Ron Thomas. "Denver police have always used license plate readers responsibly, and we will continue to do so under these new safeguards."
Under the new agreement, which lasts through March 31, 2026, Flock has agreed to pay $100,000 in damages for any breach or improper release of Denver's data. The company will only allow search terms for a select number of crimes and will not permit searches related to immigration or reproductive health care.
Johnston said there has been no evidence of Denver's Flock data being used for civil immigration enforcement. If all of the conditions have been met by the end of the no-cost contract, the mayor's office will present a long-term agreement for the city council's approval that would allow Denver to continue use of the license plate reader data.
