Rocky Mountain PBS reported on September 3, 2026 that the Durango Police Department will not renew its contract with Flock Safety in 2027. The department plans to move its automated license plate reader system to Axon. It had access to 21 Flock cameras as of late 2025.
The department is not ending its use of license plate readers. Police can search the vehicle data the cameras capture during investigations.
Why is Durango switching from Flock to Axon?
Police say there is no single reason. The department weighed privacy protections, data sharing, security, cost and how well the system works for investigations. Durango already uses Axon for body cameras and in-car video, and Police Chief Brice Current said Axon's plate reader system can work with technology the department already has.
Current pushed back on the idea that Flock failed. "This is not about Flock failing," he said. "Flock helped demonstrate the value of ALPR and has made significant improvements."
Durango's decision comes as plate reader systems face more scrutiny. Rocky Mountain PBS reports that Denver replaced Flock with Axon earlier this year after months of public criticism. It also notes that two Boulder residents sued Boulder over its Flock cameras.
What rules apply to Durango's plate reader data?
Rocky Mountain PBS says the switch does not necessarily address privacy concerns. Police say privacy depends on who can access the data, how long it is stored and when it can be shared. The department has tightened its own rules as it prepares for the change. Under the updated policy:
- Every search must be tied to a specific case or investigation.
- Looking at data more than seven days old requires reasonable suspicion and supervisor approval.
- Routine plate data can be kept for up to 21 days, unless it has to be preserved as evidence or for another legal requirement.
Rocky Mountain PBS also points to misuse cases elsewhere. In Kentucky, an officer was arrested after an audit found he allegedly used Flock more than 2,000 times to look up vehicles connected to a former partner, who was not part of a criminal investigation.
What changes for drivers in Durango?
Durango's own plate readers are the ones moving to Axon. Once the change is complete, the city's cameras will not be Flock's. The department is not ending plate reader use, so drivers in Durango should expect the cameras to keep running.
Rocky Mountain PBS does not say when the switch to Axon will be finished, or how many Axon cameras the department will install. It also does not say what happens to the data the Flock system holds today.
The switch covers Durango police only. Rocky Mountain PBS does not say whether any other agency or business in Durango uses Flock cameras, and cameras run by a neighboring city, the county or a business are not part of this contract. For background on how these systems work, see how plate readers work. To find cameras that are already mapped in your area, check the camera map.
Rocky Mountain PBS gives one date: the end of the Flock contract in 2027. It does not give a month.