DENVER (KDVR) — Loveland’s police chief took to social media over the weekend to assure residents that the city’s Flock camera system is not sharing information with Border Patrol.
The statements come after widespread reporting on concerns raised after the Loveland Police Department shared that a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent had accessed the camera database multiple times and tagged the search with “ICE,” which many assumed referenced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Groups demand that Denver’s Flock license plate cameras be turned off
“As your Chief, I understand people stand on both sides of the aisle concerning Flock Safety camera usage,” Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran wrote on X. “As criminal activity evolves in the 21st century, so must the tools we use to combat it. Policies, procedures, and protection of citizens must constantly evolve as well.”
Loveland points to Senate Bill 25-276 as crux of issue
However, a new law is at the heart of the issue: Senate Bill 25-276, “Protecting Civil Rights Immigration Status,” which focuses on protecting civil rights and immigrant communities in Colorado. The bill largely prevents peace officers from sharing any information about an immigrated person, and also extends the prohibition on local law enforcement from enforcing a civil immigration detainer to also include peace officers.
Doran noted that his agency takes compliance with the law “seriously,” and said that a few weeks ago, the Loveland Police Department was assured that federal agencies had no further access to the license plate reader cameras…