DENVER — Members of Denver City Council are expected to vote Tuesday on a contract with license plate reader company Axon as Denver’s current contract with Flock is set to expire on Tuesday.
A vote was delayed last week when several councilmembers said they felt rushed to decide. Several members of the Denver Surveillance Task Force sent a letter to the full Denver City Council ahead of the vote, urging them to vote "no" on the contract with Axon. The letter cited concerns about "rushing into another contract with a new vendor for risky, untested ALPR surveillance technology absent any statutory regulation."
Axon already supplies the Denver Police Department (DPD) with body-worn cameras and tasers. The new license plate reader proposal would allow Axon to install 50 cameras, less than half of what’s currently in use through Flock. It. would also reduce the time period information collected is stored from 30 days to 21. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently decided to end the contract with Flock after community concerns about privacy and data sharing.
WEST VALLEY CITY, UT - MARCH 2: West Valley City patrol officer Gatrell starts a body camera recording by pressing a button on his chest before he takes a theft report from a construction worker with his newly-issued body camera attached to the side of a pair of glasses on March 2, 2015 in West Valley City, Utah. West Valley City Police Department has issued 190 Taser Axon Flex body cameras for all it's sworn officers to wear starting today. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
Tim Hoffman, Mayor Johnston's director of policy, said that since the summer of 2024, Flock cameras have helped Denver police recover 446 stolen vehicles, make 528 arrests and take 63 firearms off the streets. He said in 2025, license plate reader information was used in more than 40% of the city's homicide investigations and 23% of non-fatal shooting investigations.
Community members, however, argue the technology still raises privacy concerns.
“Many people feel that this contract was extremely rushed and that the mayor didn't get input from his constituents, community organizations, or even his own Surveillance Task Force,” Katie Leonard with Denver Party for Socialism and Liberation said.
Those in support of the switch say the new contract includes stronger safeguards while keeping a tool they say helps public safety.
“Whatever technology that they can use as a force multiplier to give them more options, generally benefits the regular citizen,” Denver resident David Howard said.
City leaders said Denver would own its own data and that Axon does not pool data into a sharing network or sell data to any third party.
The one-year, $150,000 Axon contract is expected to go before the full Denver City Council at a 3:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday..
