The Denver City Council is set to vote on a contract with Axon for license plate readers. The decision comes after concerns about privacy and data sharing with the previous vendor, Flock. Community members and the Denver Surveillance Task Force have voiced reservations about the new contract, while supporters highlight public safety benefits and stronger safeguards. The vote follows Mayor Johnston's recent decision to end the contract with Flock.
Denver City Council members are poised to cast their votes on Tuesday regarding a contract with Axon , a license plate reader company, as the city's existing agreement with Flock nears its expiration. The vote, initially scheduled for the previous week, was postponed due to concerns raised by several council members who felt the decision was being rushed.
A letter, penned by members of the Denver Surveillance Task Force, was dispatched to the entire Denver City Council prior to the vote, strongly advocating for a 'no' vote on the proposed Axon contract. This letter highlighted apprehensions about swiftly entering into another contract with a new vendor for potentially risky and unproven ALPR surveillance technology, especially in the absence of established statutory regulation. Axon already has an established relationship with the Denver Police Department (DPD), supplying them with body-worn cameras and tasers. The new license plate reader proposal involves Axon installing 50 cameras, representing a reduction compared to the current deployment through Flock. Moreover, the proposed contract stipulates a reduction in the data storage period from 30 days to 21 days. The decision to potentially switch vendors follows Mayor Mike Johnston's recent decision to end the contract with Flock, triggered by community concerns over privacy and data sharing practices.\Mayor Johnston's director of policy, Tim Hoffman, has emphasized the effectiveness of Flock cameras in recent months, citing their contribution to recovering 446 stolen vehicles, making 528 arrests, and removing 63 firearms from the streets since the summer of 2024. He also highlighted the significant role of license plate reader information in criminal investigations, noting its use in over 40% of the city's homicide investigations and 23% of non-fatal shooting investigations in 2025. Despite these statistics, community members continue to express reservations about the technology, primarily centered on privacy concerns. Katie Leonard of the Denver Party for Socialism and Liberation voiced these concerns, stating that many individuals feel the contract was hastily proposed, lacking adequate input from constituents, community organizations, and even the city's own Surveillance Task Force. This sentiment underscores a broader debate about the balance between public safety and individual privacy rights within the context of technologically advanced surveillance systems. The transition from Flock to Axon reflects a careful consideration of various factors, including the need for updated technologies while still considering public concerns and maintaining efficient law enforcement capabilities in the city.\Those who support the transition to Axon emphasize the added safeguards included in the new contract, while maintaining a tool they say significantly contributes to public safety. David Howard, a Denver resident, underscored the potential benefits, stating that any technology acting as a force multiplier for law enforcement would generally benefit the public. City leaders have asserted that Denver would maintain ownership of its data, and Axon would not pool the information into a sharing network or sell it to third parties. This assurance aims to address some of the privacy concerns raised by the community. The one-year contract with Axon, valued at $150,000, is slated for a full vote by the Denver City Council at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. The debate surrounding this contract highlights the ongoing challenges of balancing technological advancements in law enforcement with the protection of citizens' privacy and the need for transparent decision-making that includes community input and rigorous evaluation of the implications of new technologies
Denver Axon License Plate Readers Surveillance Privacy Law Enforcement City Council Flock Data
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