Some on the Denver City Council upset after Mayor Mike Johnston moves forward with controversial Flock cameras

Earlier this year, the Denver City Council unanimously rejected a two-year extension for the use of Flock cameras in large part due to a lack of guardrails surrounding who can access the data and how it can be used. But as, Mayor Mike Johnston announced this week, the city is moving forward with a short-term contract extension. As a result, some city council members are pushing back.

"That is 'king' behavior," said Councilwoman Shontel Lewis. She's among the council members who are upset they didn't have a vote on the extension of technology they strongly oppose.

"The way I feel about it is in the same way that I am opposed to kings at the federal level," said Lewis.

"No matter how many guardrails they set up, there are always ways around it, and collecting the data in the first place is very dangerous," said Will Freeman, the creator of deflock.me, a website that tracks the locations of the cameras. He attended a town hall meeting about Flock cameras that was held Wednesday night with much of the crowd in opposition.

"They had to use an overflow room and live stream it to that room because there was not enough sitting and standing space in the main room," said Freeman.

However, there are Denver residents and council members who support the mayor's decision. Councilman Kevin Flynn is on the Flock task force and released this statement to CBS Colorado.

"These safeguards in the new extension appear to address almost all of the concerns that the public has raised about how data could be misused. I am comfortable that the five-month evaluation period will either prove it out or not, at which time we can make a decision on a new contract. It is proven to be a very valuable tool at solving a range of crimes, and not just auto theft."

The mayor's office also says the no-cost, 5-month extension serves as a pilot period, and that new safeguards -- such as a hefty fine for sharing data with the federal government -- addresses the concerns about potential misuse.

"That's why we shut down access to all jurisdictions outside of the City and County of Denver," said Tim Hoffman, Director of Policy for the mayor's office. "That's why we included a provision in the contract that will be signed shortly, around $100,000 fine for Flock if the data is leaked or breached in any way of Denver's information. That's why we included it and have already included a robust drop-down menu of search terms."

"There is no one in the city who is more focused on protecting our newcomers, protecting our vulnerable populations, than Mayor Mike Johnston," Hoffman added.

Right now, the mayor is balancing concerns from certain citizens and the impact law enforcement says it has had on keeping our communities safe.

"It has led to over 250 motor vehicle theft recoveries," said Hoffman. "It's led to nearly 40 guns being taken off the street. It's provided crucial evidence in nine homicides and over 25 shootings. So, it has had a material positive impact on public safety in this city."

Hoffman confirmed there will be a review process after the 5 month extension to determine whether they will continue the use of the technology moving forward.