2 days ago
Groups demand that Denver's Flock license plate cameras be turned off
DENVER (KDVR) — There is a growing controversy surrounding the use of automatic license plate reading cameras in Denver.
They are also known as Flock cameras, which law enforcement uses in a number of crime-fighting tactics.
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Some groups are claiming the cameras' databases are being used to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers track undocumented immigrants. The American Civil Liberties Union is among the organizations that want Denver to stop using the cameras.
'Flock databases, and their sharing capabilities create the potential for local law enforcement agencies to be violating state law when they are sharing their databases openly with other agencies and other jurisdictions outside of the state of Colorado for immigration enforcement purposes,' ACLU Denver Public Policy Director Anaya Robinson said.
'Flock, effectively, is creating a nationwide surveillance system,' Robinson added.
There are 17 civil rights and advocacy organizations that said the Denver Police Department's Flock camera data logs had been searched more than 1,400 times for ICE since June 2024.
DPD said Monday, once it realized searches had been conducted by other law enforcement agencies with ICE, DPD turned off those agencies' ability to search Denver's flock data.
Mayoral spokesman Jon Ewing said the city had no knowledge of the city's cameras being used to track undocumented immigrants.
'We use these cameras for people who commit crimes. We're not talking about civil immigration enforcement. It is not permissible under Colorado law or local law to do the job of civil immigration enforcement,' Ewing said.
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'DPD continues working to address community concerns about the Flock ALPR (automated license plate recognition) program. DPD will continue using our Flock ALPR system because of its demonstrated impact in helping to solve crimes and hold offenders accountable. DPD is not aware of any misuse of its data,' a spokesperson for the Denver Police Department's Media Relations Units said.
The concerned groups, though, say they will continue their push to have the cameras turned off.
Robison said the organizations are willing to have conversations with Denver about the future use of the camera system. Mayor Mike Johnston's office says it's setting up a task force to address community concerns.
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