El Paso County drops Flock as Colorado backlash grows
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal is abandoning Flock's automatic license plate readers — surveillance technology he previously championed as a vital public safety tool.
The latest: Roybal announced Wednesday that his office would immediately stop using its Flock cameras.
- The sheriff's office notified Flock that it wouldn't renew its contract and asked the company to retrieve the equipment.
Between the lines: Roybal cited "concerns about the future of the Flock Safety program" and expected legislative changes in Colorado.
What he's saying: "We have the tools, training, and experience to locate and apprehend criminals without relying on Flock cameras," Roybal said in a statement.
Flashback: Roybal praised the system in September 2025 after a Flock alert helped officers locate and arrest an attempted-murder suspect in a Fountain Walmart parking lot.
The big picture: El Paso County joins a growing list of Colorado communities backing away from Flock amid scrutiny of the company's technology and data sharing.
- Colorado Springs police ended their Flock contract in April, citing cost issues.
- Denver chose Axon to replace Flock in February.
- Douglas County approved an Axon replacement in July after Sheriff Darren Weekly said he no longer trusted Flock.
- Englewood canceled its Flock deal last month without approving a replacement.
Context: Colorado lawmakers considered bipartisan legislation this year that would have restricted how law enforcement could access and retain data from license plate readers.
- The measure died in April.
Yes, but: Roybal's decision doesn't end license plate surveillance in the county.
- Colorado Springs replaced 55 Flock cameras with 90 Axon readers in March, while Fountain and other municipalities continue to use Flock.
The other side: Flock says that local agencies control data-sharing permissions and that searches are logged so police supervisors can review how the system is used.
What to watch: Roybal didn't say whether his agency would switch vendors or stop using this type of camera altogether.