Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s extension of the city’s contract for Flock Safety cameras, which use artificial intelligence to track and collect data by surveilling cars, keeps drawing criticism from residents, including members of Denver City Council.
“These are not our grandparents’ mass surveillance technology. This is so different,” Councilwoman Sarah Parady said at an October 22 town hall that attracted hundreds of outraged citizens. “If these were just cameras that were taking photos of all our plates and putting them in some database without the AI that has the capacity to read the plates, recognize the vehicles and fetch it all, that would still have horrified people in the 1960s.”
Denver first installed 111 Flock cameras at seventy spots throughout the city in May 2024. They have become an increasingly hot topic — as has the way Johnston extended their contract. In their comments on the Westword Facebook post of Bennito Kelty’s story on the town hall, readers make it clear they’re keeping their eye on Flock…and Johnston. Says Susan:…