A resolution that would have added two years and $666,000 to an existing contract between the Denver Police Department and Flock Group, Inc. for cameras that read license plates has failed.

The unanimous decision by the Denver City Council came Monday afternoon after weeks of public outcry over concerns surrounding information sharing and possible use of data from the automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, for mass surveillance and to target illegal immigrants.

Mayor Mike Johnston asked council members to reject the contract until the city can address the concerns.

The city’s current ALPR pilot program will remain in place.

This is the first time the contract has come before the council for a vote, as the contract’s $500,000 price tag exceeds the city’s threshold.

One of Mayor Johnston’s Safe City goals has been to prioritize resources such as ALPRs to help reduce auto theft and generate investigative leads in other serious crimes, including homicides, shootings and instances of hit-and-run.

Since May 2024, the city has had more than 100 solar-powered Flock ALPR cameras positioned at 70 locations around the metro area.

The cameras have photographed more than 2 million vehicles in the last 30 days, according to a transparency portal built by Flock for the Denver Police Department, with 82,052 matching a “hotlist” entered into the system.

“While this tool is helpful for the Denver police to investigate kidnappings, stolen cars and other crimes, it is not worth the huge risk for immigrants – and the rest of us – living in Denver,” said Roxanne Rhodes, a retired Denver Public Schools teacher who is concerned with the federal government data mining through illegal hacking and forcing government entities and private companies like Flock to open their databases to ICE, regardless of any contract protections.

At-large Councilmember Sarah Parady said that “unless we think governments and large tech companies are 100% trustworthy all the time, mass surveillance is very concerning.”

Parody pointed to ALPR use in Boulder as a cautionary tale for how data may be shared.

She said shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the historic abortion rights case Roe v Wade, a jurisdiction in Texas requested full access to Boulder’s license plate readers, “and we know exactly why they did that.”

“I know some hit and run cases that were resolved, and I think most prominently in the news last year, the $12 million High Park jewelry burglary was solved as a direct result of this system,” said District 2 Councilmember Kevin Flynn. “So we know that it can help solve crime. But in light of some changes since the pilot began, not that there weren’t concerns about surveillance before that, but I think since maybe Jan. 20 of this year, those concerns are greatly heightened and have a new have a new reality about them.”

The contract may be considered for return to the City Council after review by a dedicated task force to address privacy and oversight concerns.