DENVER — Some Denver City Council members on Wednesday expressed frustration with how Mayor Mike Johnston handled the extension of a contract with surveillance company Flock Safety last week, saying they want more transparency from his office moving forward.
The $7.5-billion company operates license plate reader cameras in the city and helps police quickly identify vehicles wanted in crimes across the country.
District 7 councilmember Flor Alvidrez, not a member of the Health and Safety Committee responsible for the contract, attended Wednesday's meeting.
"This is my only chance to have a voice about what's happening because we're not getting a vote on this contract extension," Alvidrez told Denver7. "I have to go to the committee to find out also what's happening, because we haven't had transparency and the information around what changes have been made to the Flock system."
As Denver7 Investigates reported last week, the contract extension process with the surveillance company led to the suspension of access to photo and location data from Denver's Flock cameras for outside law enforcement. The contract also stipulates a $100,000 fine for sharing data with the federal government.
"This negotiation happened behind closed doors, with no task force members, so I'm very concerned," Alvidrez went on to add, expressing she found it troubling that the only way she found out about the contract extension was through the news media, "which isn't right when I'm the legislative arm of the city government."
◼️ Denver7 Chief Investigator Tony Kovaleski breaks down what these cameras do, why they are controversial and what happened Wednesday:
During the hour-long committee meeting, council members were scheduled to receive an update on the Surveillance Task Force, which oversees the city's surveillance technology, including Flock cameras.
However, after Denver police and city staff finished their update, much of the conversation centered on the process by which the mayor chose to extend Flock's contract.
Before the meeting, council member Alvidrez told Denver7 that several council members had asked the city auditor to closely review the contract extension before approving it.
◼️ Read the letter below:
"I do believe that he has a chance to be a check and balance in this moment, to where the mayor is trying to go around and circumvent City Council's power and authority," she said.
License plate readers have recently sparked debate in Denver. While police tout their effectiveness, others worry about over-surveillance and possible misuse, especially amid increased immigration enforcement.
Flock cameras were installed in Denver in May of 2024. There are more than 100 cameras mounted at 70 intersections across the city. Denver police have credited the cameras with hundreds of arrests and the recovery of stolen vehicles and dozens of firearms.
The five-month extension appears to be the compromise city leadership has sought for months since the council unanimously rejected a Flock contract extension over privacy concerns in May. The city's announcement stated that the extension would cost no additional money.
In response to the city council's letter outlining their concerns, Denver Auditor Tim O'Brien sent one of his own, saying he'd review the contract and let council members know if it violated contracting rules.
◼️ A copy of the letter from the Denver Auditor's Office can be read below:
Tim Hoffman, the mayor's policy director, acknowledged the frustrations some council members expressed with the negotiation process, though he made it clear he believes they should acknowledge the technology's efficacy.
"So, I understand the frustration that was expressed," Hoffman said. "I think when you step back from some of that process disagreement, and you start talking about, 'Is this a technology that works?' I think that there's pretty wide agreement that it does."
Denver City Council President Amanda Sandoval also brought up a previous conversation she'd had with Flock Safety's CEO. She spoke about how he'd expressed trust in entities like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to which she responded sternly.
"Let me tell you one thing, Mr. CEO of Flock: I do not inherently trust ICE right now, because they are coming for my people," she said.
Meantime, other council members like Amanda Sawyer, who represents District 5, spoke about how, despite not being "married" to the Flock license plate reader technology, she stands behind its use.
"I don't care what ALPR technology company we use," she said. " ALPR technology itself has been an extraordinary asset for the city of Denver in closing the gap between the number of officers we have and the number of officers that we would need to have to do this work and achieve those same results in District 5."
At the end of the meeting, council member Darrell Watson, who represents District 9, said moving forward, he'd like some sort of interim report from the task force.
If the city is satisfied after the extension ends, Johnston's office intends to propose a long-term contract requiring city council approval for any amount over $500,000.
