Colorado investigation: grassroots resistance mounts against Flock ALPR expansion as 60 agencies deploy cameras without retention or oversight rules

An investigation by the Colorado Sun published 27 April 2026 documents growing grassroots opposition to the expansion of Flock Safety automated licence plate reader cameras across Colorado. Sixty police and sheriff departments across the state use ALPR technology, with 42 holding Flock contracts. In Boulder alone, several cameras surround a single block. Community organisers working with faith groups, immigration advocates and civil liberties organisations have begun mapping the cameras and holding roadside demonstrations. Concerns centre on data retention periods of weeks or months, cross-jurisdictional search capabilities, sharing with federal immigration enforcement, and the absence of audit requirements in most contracts. The investigation notes that the expansion has proceeded faster than any regulatory framework, with no state law in Colorado governing data retention, access controls or independent oversight. The Colorado resistance is part of a wider US pattern of community-led campaigns that in 2025 successfully ended ALPR programmes in Austin, Cambridge and Eugene by combining political champions, grassroots pressure and technical assistance on procurement oversight.