Councilmember Sarah Parady says every time she learns more about Flock’s license plate reader system, she grows more alarmed.
The big picture: The concern prompted her last week to call on Mayor Mike Johnston to shutter the cameras in Denver after audit logs showed data collected may have been used to assist federal immigration authorities.
- Parady worries about people’s privacy and potential misuse, which could violate city and state laws.
Why it matters: The powerful cameras are sparking a larger conversation over mass surveillance, and whether more guardrails, including new laws, should be enacted to protect people’s privacy.
State of play: Parady is alarmed by federal authorities under President Trump, who’s empowered agencies like ICE and has threatened Johnston — a Flock supporter — with arrest over the city’s immigration polices.
- She’s not the only one with concerns: The Institute for Justice launched a nationwide campaign last month to halt the use of automatic license plate reader cameras in its “fight against warrantless mass surveillance.”
The latest: Flock announced last week it would pause a pilot program with two federal law enforcement agencies after its ALPRs were found to have violated Illinois state law.
- Meanwhile, a task force convened with the Denver City Council and the mayor’s office in August met for the first time to brainstorm possible legislation to manage how surveillance systems operate.
Flashback: The Denver City Council in May voted down a $666,000 extension for Denver police to operate 111 Flock cameras at 70 locations across the city after Johnston withdrew support…