Longmont and other U.S. cities replace Flock license-plate cameras with new vendors amid privacy concerns

Longmont, Colorado, ended a contract with Flock Safety for automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) in December, but the city council voted in March to approve a new vendor, Axon, to install replacement cameras. Residents such as Andrew Palmer expressed disappointment that the decision was made without a public hearing, saying the community was not given a chance to question the new system.

Flock operates more than 120,000 ALPR cameras nationwide, scanning license plates billions of times each month. Law-enforcement agencies cite the technology as useful for locating stolen vehicles and missing persons, while privacy groups argue that the data can be accessed without a warrant and may be shared with other government agencies, including immigration enforcement.

At least 56 municipalities have terminated or declined contracts with Flock this year, according to the advocacy group DeFlock. In response, Flock announced policy changes on data auditing, retention, and sharing, though critics consider the measures insufficient. In several cities that have cancelled Flock contracts, the cameras remain in place, either because a new vendor has taken over or because private businesses continue to operate their own systems.

Longmont’s proposed Axon contract includes additional data-protection requirements, a transparency clause, and a one-year evaluation. Axon, a large supplier of police technology, has secured contracts to replace Flock in at least seven municipalities across five states. ACLU senior policy counsel Chad Marlow suggested that Axon’s expansion follows Flock’s setbacks, and Axon’s president Josh Isner indicated that privacy and ethics were cited by customers as reasons for the switch.

Law-enforcement officials in Longmont highlighted Axon’s longer relationship with the department, noting that the company also provides tasers, body cameras, and digital-evidence storage. However, privacy advocates such as Phil Piotrowski, Longmont’s assistant chief of police, and local residents have raised concerns about data ownership and encryption.

Other cities, including Denver, Syracuse, Oshkosh, and Verona, have also moved from Flock to Axon or faced delays in removing Flock equipment. In some cases, municipalities have covered cameras with trash bags after the vendor failed to retrieve them. Critics warn that replacing one vendor does not address broader surveillance issues, and they call for stricter limits on data retention, warrant requirements, and independent oversight.

The ACLU recommends that the most effective privacy protection would be to forgo ALPR use altogether, citing examples such as New Hampshire’s three-minute data-retention limit. While Congress is considering legislation to regulate ALPRs, many localities are establishing technology advisory boards and review panels to increase transparency.

In Longmont, residents plan to seek seats on a proposed citizen technology advisory board, hoping to influence future decisions on surveillance equipment and data governance.