Greeley City Council is considering not renewing its contract with Flock Safety, aiming to end the agreement by April 2027. This decision follows public concerns regarding the company's automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and data handling practices. The Greeley Police Department has been directed to explore alternative ALPR systems that would allow local control over collected data, as reported by the Greeley Tribune.
Drivers in Greeley should be aware that while the city plans to move away from Flock Safety, it does not intend to discontinue the use of ALPR technology entirely. The focus is on finding a vendor that offers more local data storage and stricter oversight.
Why is Greeley considering a change from Flock Safety?
The primary driver for Greeley's potential shift away from Flock Safety is concern over data control and privacy. Council members voiced issues with Flock Safety's policy of storing data in a national database rather than on local servers. Councilman Craig Huddleston noted, "Flock does not allow us to put this data on our own servers and control that. So for them to say we own the data, but we don’t get to choose to keep the data on our servers seems a little bit conflicting."
Local residents have also raised objections. One resident, Brandon Wark, who organized a protest, stated that simply replacing Flock with another company offering similar mass surveillance would not improve the situation. These discussions highlight the ongoing debate around how ALPR data is managed and accessed.
What does this mean for ALPR usage in Greeley?
Though the city may discontinue its contract with Flock Safety, the use of ALPRs in Greeley is expected to continue. The Greeley Police Department has used ALPRs since 2006, integrating them with other surveillance tools like the Flock Raven gunshot detection system (which the department plans to return due to cost-effectiveness). The department stated that ALPRs are used to locate vehicles involved in:
- Motor vehicle theft
- Missing persons cases
- Other public safety alerts
Greeley Police Chief Adam Turk indicated that while the department shares data with 91 other Colorado agencies to combat crime across jurisdictional boundaries, the city seeks a new vendor that permits local data storage. This would grant Greeley greater control over the information gathered by the cameras. For more information on how ALPRs work, you can visit our /learn page.
The City Council has also expressed interest in implementing stronger safeguards and penalties for any misuse of ALPR technology by officers. Councilman Johnny Olson advocated for prosecuting officers who unlawfully use the data, rather than just firing them, emphasizing that such misuse could constitute a civil rights offense.
The current contract with Flock Safety ends in April 2027. While an early termination is possible, it would incur additional costs. The council's direction indicates a move towards greater local control and accountability for ALPR technology in Greeley.