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Commerce approves Flock license-plate readers and mobile trailer; chief says data owned by city and retained 30 days
Summary
The council approved an agreement with Flock Group Inc. to deploy 15 license-plate readers and a mobile camera trailer. Police said the system captures plate images in public spaces, retains data 30 days, and that data is controlled by the city and shared only with law enforcement partners as authorized.
The Commerce City Council on Aug. 19 approved an agreement with Flock Group Incorporated to install 15 license-plate readers and a mobile trailer-mounted camera system to aid criminal investigations.
Chief of Police Corley Rutherford told council the grant-backed program will use license-plate-reader technology and a mobile trailer with live video to help investigations and recover stolen property. “What is collected is when a vehicle is driving on a public roadway and public space. It is simply a picture of that vehicle and the license plate. That's what's captured by the system and saved,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford said the system used by Flock retains collected data for 30 days and that the data “belongs to us.” He added the city controls sharing: data is only shared with law enforcement entities the city authorizes. “At the 30 day mark, it is gone. It is not kept by Flock. It is not owned or possessed by Flock,” Rutherford said.
Council members asked for clarity on data limits and examples of other users. Rutherford listed regional agencies using the system and said nearby jurisdictions share data when criminal activity crosses borders; he cited local installations and neighboring counties in various stages of deployment.
A motion to approve the agreement passed on voice vote.
During a later public‑hearing segment on a separate agenda item, resident Victor Ford expressed a general concern about data sale and breach risk related to license-plate readers; council closed the public hearing on the comprehensive plan without additional public comment on that item.
