Boulder punts Flock camera decision
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Boulder is delaying its decision on its Flock Safety contract until 2027, giving residents more time to weigh in on the controversial license plate readers.
Why it matters: By kicking the can down the road, the city is effectively putting Flock on the ballot when voters choose six of its nine council members, including mayor.
Driving the news: The city announced in April it would review its Flock contract, opening the bidding process to new vendors.
- Boulder planned to pick by Sept. 15, but now officials say the city is pushing that process to spring 2027.
City manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde said the pause aims to foster more community engagement and policy discussion.
- "We are absolutely committed to using technology for the city in ways that are in alignment with our city values," she said.
- Local officials haven't revealed which companies have submitted bids.
Between the lines: The timing means the contract could be a hot topic in the Nov. 3 election.
- While the decision will ultimately be up to Rivera-Vandermyde, council will issue guidance on what the city should prioritize in a provider.
- Incumbent Councilmember Ryan Schuchard has called on Boulder to cut ties with Flock, while mayoral candidate Taishya Adams has argued City Council should have more say over the contract.
In the meantime, Flock's cameras aren't going anywhere.
- Boulder will keep using them on a interim contract but will cut how long its data is stored, from 28 days to 14.
- The city will also ask the county district attorney's office whether it can shorten that window further without hampering criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Flashback: Boulder has used Flock since 2022, initially making its data searchable through Flock's nationwide law enforcement network.
- Amid concerns about access by agencies working with ICE, Boulder shut off national sharing in June 2025 — a move that later drew the attention of the House Judiciary Committee.
The big picture: License plate readers, and Flock in particular, have become a national flashpoint over fears that a tool designed to help solve crimes has evolved into a sprawling surveillance network.
- Fueling the backlash: Revelations that Flock data has been accessed for immigration enforcement and investigations involving people traveling out of state for abortions.
- Documented cases of police officers misusing the data to track people, including former romantic partners, have added to the scrutiny.
The other side: Flock and law enforcement agencies counter that the cameras are valuable for finding stolen vehicles, locating missing people and solving serious crimes.
Zoom out: Boulder appears to be moving more cautiously than a growing number of Colorado communities that cut ties with Flock amid privacy, surveillance and data sharing concerns.
- Denver decided not to renew its Flock contract, switching to Axon in February.
- Fort Collins went further in June, voting 6-1 to cancel its contract, immediately stop collecting data and remove its cameras.
- Douglas County plans to swap 50 Flock cameras for 100 Axon readers after Sheriff Darren Weekly said "trust was lost" with Flock.