Douglas County sheriff drops Flock for Axon
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Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is dumping Flock Safety after Sheriff Darren Weekly said he lost trust in the surveillance technology company.
State of play: County commissioners last week approved a nearly $23 million, 10-year contract with Axon, which makes Tasers, body cameras, drones and license plate readers.
- The new agreement starts Jan. 1, 2027, and includes a $1.9 million first-year purchase.
- Axon readers will replace 50 Flock cameras, with another 50 installed near major roads and intersections.
- The contract also includes 20 drone-as-first-responder aircraft, including four high-speed drones planned for 2028.
Context: DCSO already uses Axon's body camera and Tasers, and it's integrating Draft One, the company's controversial AI report-writing software.
Why it matters: The Flock-to-Axon move is a striking about-face for the sheriff, who once championed Flock and now says the company is failing to keep up.
- It also comes as agencies nationwide face growing scrutiny over privacy and data sharing practices.
The intrigue: Weekly defended Flock last year, arguing the cameras helped deputies catch suspects and recover stolen vehicles.
Yes, but: The sheriff tells Axios his confidence was shaken after a Flock camera at Sandstone Ranch Open Space in Larkspur was left exposed online before the company detected the problem.
- Other issues surfaced, but he declined to elaborate.
- Weekly says the company seemed "behind the curve" and "not anticipatory" in responding to privacy and policy concerns.
In the room: The sheriff met this summer with Flock CEO Garrett Langley.
- "Trust was lost, specifically with me," Weekly says. "I was very candid with their CEO ... and I told him, 'We have problems.'"
Zoom in: Sheriff's officials say one reason for the switch is that Axon gives DCSO ownership and control of its license plate reader data.
- Records will be deleted after 30 days unless tied to a criminal investigation, Weekly says.
- The readers don't identify drivers, access vehicle registration records or use facial recognition.
Zoom out: Flock has become a flash point in debates over surveillance, data sharing and civil liberties.
- Denver has replaced Flock with Axon.
- LAPD paused its Flock contract this month.
- Boulder is reviewing bids for its next vendor.
What's next: Weekly says other Douglas County law enforcement agencies are taking "a hard look" at their relationships with Flock.
- Lone Tree says it hasn't discussed making a change.
- Castle Rock and Parker did not immediately respond to questions.