El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Ends Flock Safety Camera Agreement
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is ending its use of Flock Safety cameras, with the department announcing Wednesday that it will not renew its agreement with the company.
The decision takes effect immediately. The Sheriff’s Office said it has issued Flock Safety a notice of non-renewal and will ask the company to retrieve its equipment from the county.
Sheriff Joseph Roybal said the decision comes as the agency considers the future of the Flock Safety program and anticipated changes to Colorado law surrounding the technology.
“After careful consideration, I believe discontinuing our use of Flock cameras is the right decision for El Paso County and our citizens,” Roybal said in a statement released by the Sheriff’s Office.
Flock Safety cameras are automated license plate readers designed to capture vehicle information, including license plates and other identifying characteristics. Law enforcement agencies can use the technology as an investigative tool when searching for vehicles connected to criminal cases.
The Sheriff’s Office said ending the Flock agreement does not change its commitment to investigating crimes or locating suspects. The agency pointed to its Intelligence-Based Operations Center, investigative resources and partnerships with other law enforcement agencies as tools that will continue to be available to deputies and investigators.
“We have the tools, training, and experience to locate and apprehend criminals without relying on Flock cameras,” Roybal said.
The decision comes after the use of automated license plate readers has faced increased scrutiny in Colorado and other parts of the country. Critics have raised concerns about privacy, data retention and how information collected by the systems can be accessed or shared. Law enforcement agencies have also cited cases in which license plate reader technology has assisted investigations and helped officers locate suspects.
The Sheriff's Office did not announce whether it plans to replace Flock cameras with another automated license plate reader system. It also did not provide additional details about the future of license plate-reader technology within the agency.
Earlier this year, El Paso County approved a $40,000 federal grant passed through the Colorado Department of Public Safety to support the purchase and implementation of the Flock Safety camera system.
The county’s decision makes the Sheriff’s Office the latest local law enforcement agency to reconsider its use of Flock technology as questions surrounding automated license plate readers continue to develop.
For now, the Sheriff’s Office said its focus remains on using other investigative resources to support public safety and hold criminal suspects accountable.
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