By Nyxi Gammieri
At the corner of West Horsetooth and South Taft Hill Rd, a small, black, oval camera is mounted above the roadway. It’s part of Fort Collins’ Flock license plate reader system, which photographs passing vehicles and registers plate and vehicle information.
Fort Collins is one of many cities across the country using Flock cameras, though the technology has drawn scrutiny over data privacy and oversight. Nearby Denver recently chose to replace its Flock system with technology from Axon after similar concerns from residents and city officials.
Similar questions about cybersecurity, vendor trust, and governance dominated a recent city council work session as Fort Collins police defended the use of the cameras.
The work session followed growing community concerns about how Flock equipment stores vehicle data, who can access it, and whether adequate cybersecurity safeguards are in place. As other Colorado cities revisit similar contracts, Fort Collins leaders said they sought clarity on oversight and data retention policies.
“I have so much trust in Fort Collins police,” said councilmember Melanie Potyondy. “I do not have quite as much trust in the company,” citing national scrutiny of Flock’s data practices.
While officers cited recent cases in which the cameras helped to locate a kidnapping victim and identify a hit-and-run suspect, council members focused on the technology itself — including vulnerabilities, data retention, and the private company behind the system.
Flock cameras capture license plate images and vehicle characteristics on major roadways. In Fort Collins, the data is retained for 30 days before automatic deletion, say police.
Officials said the city owns its data, which is hosted by Flock on secure servers and reviewed through monthly audits.
Police emphasized the system cannot be used to assist federal immigration enforcement and said it only shares data with Colorado law enforcement agencies.
Council members questioned the use of third-party audits, camera security, and whether the city independently verifies vendor safeguards.
Kevin Wilkins, the city’s chief information officer, said the system complies with FBI Criminal Justice Information Services standards and other federal cybersecurity requirements.
When asked for details — including susceptibility to hacking, audit findings, the number of privately owned cameras, searches conducted by outside agencies, and whether real-time alerts can operate without storing 30 days of data — officials said they “have not experienced a vulnerability,” but did not have the additional information on hand and said they would follow up.
They added that the program is still relatively new, with most of the city’s 15 cameras installed last fall.
Concerns about camera placement also surfaced, including proximity to Planned Parenthood. Police said the cameras are positioned at entrance and exit points and are aimed at public roadways.
“We’re looking at the road,” Yeager said.
When asked how accountability would be enforced for individuals who may not adhere to Fort Collins Police standards when using the tool — particularly outside city limits — Officer Yeager said if any authorized user misused it, “we would immediately revoke their access.”
Councilmembers did not indicate their positions on whether to discontinue the program, but said additional information would be needed before making future decisions.
