Denver extends contract with Flock for license-plate readers
Denver extends contract with Flock for license-plate readers
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Denver extends contract with Flock for license-plate readers

🕒︎ 2025-10-22

Copyright The Denver Post

Denver extends contract with Flock for license-plate readers

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office is extending a contract with Flock — a company that operates AI-powered license-plate readers throughout the city — for five months without any additional cost, circumventing any vote from the City Council. In May, the council unanimously voted against a contract to extend the system over concerns that the technology is creating a surveillance network ripe for abuse. But Johnston’s office opted not to take the cameras down and then extended the contract through October without council approval. Now, another contract extension will last through at least March, which is when Johnston’s team will present a new contract to the City Council, according to a news release from the mayor’s office Wednesday. Johnston’s office says that Flock’s technology has been a “game changer” for combating crime. Johnston said that Flock has agreed to add new protections to its services to ensure that Denver’s data isn’t shared with the federal government. One of the biggest fears that opponents of the system have is that the data could be used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation efforts. “I’ve made clear to Flock’s leadership that I expect total transparency and that anything less will result in an end to our relationship,” Johnston said in the news release. The new contract will include a requirement for Flock to pay $100,000 for any instance of Denver data being shared with federal agencies, according to a news release from the city Wednesday. Flock will also only allow law enforcement users to look up vehicles with certain search terms for a “select number of crimes,” which excludes anything related to immigration or reproductive health care, like abortions. After the council rejected the proposal in May, Johnston’s office approved a new contract with Flock over the summer for just under $500,000, which is the threshold required for council approval. That extension ends this month. The new extension will have no cost. The news outlet 404 Media reported that ICE has used Flock data for its deportation efforts. The mayor’s office says there have been no examples of that happening with Denver data. Flock has led to 352 arrests and 250 recovered stolen vehicles, according to the city news release. The 111 cameras were installed at 70 intersections throughout Denver in 2024 as part of an eight-month pilot program. The cameras operate by snapping photos of every car that passes through the intersections where they are based. The system then cross-references the license plate with national and local law enforcement databases. If a plate matches one listed in the system as stolen or involved with a crime, the Denver Police Department is notified — with a pinpoint of where the photo was taken — within about 15 seconds. The photos are stored for 30 days unless they are flagged as part of an investigation. This is a developing story that will be updated.

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