Denver cuts ties with Flock
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Mayor Mike Johnston said Tuesday the city will not renew its contract with Flock to operate the license plate reader system used by Denver police.
Why it matters: It's a major reversal for Johnston, who drew public ire last year when he unilaterally approved a new contract with the company despite concerns over mass surveillance and its potential misuse.
Driving the news: The city instead chose Axon — its current vendor for DPD's body cameras and their data storage — to operate its license plate reader system moving forward.
Between the lines: Denver's new contract will include stipulations barring city data from being shared with federal authorities, and places limits on how long data is stored, per the mayor's statement.
- Access to other law enforcement agencies in the state will be allowed only if those agencies agree to Denver's standards.
The big picture: The city's shift in providers arrives as public backlash over surveillance systems like Flock and Amazon's Ring grows as high-profile cases reveal just how deeply law enforcement can tap their data.
Zoom in: It's a concern that's reached the Colorado State Capitol, as state lawmakers this week considered a bill placing guardrails on video surveillance tech, including adding rules around how data is accessed.
- Many local critics worried that federal immigration authorities — or police departments working with them — could access Denver's data through Flock.
What they're saying: "We've heard the community loud and clear and it is time to make a change," Johnston said in a statement.
- The mayor's office and Denver police contend Flock's license plate readers help solve crime and increase accountability, making the city safer overall.
- "We hope to work with the City of Denver and DPD again in the future, Flock told Axios in a statement following the news. "In the meantime, we continue to serve more than a hundred cities across Colorado helping solve crimes and find missing persons."
What's next: The mayor's administration plans to introduce a one-year contract with Axon before its current contract with Flock ends on March 31.