Northglenn council hears detailed defense of Flock license-plate readers amid privacy concerns

Deputy Chief Peter Rice told the Northglenn City Council at its November meeting that the department—s Flock license-plate reading system is intended to speed investigations of serious crimes and stolen vehicles, not to conduct continuous personal surveillance. "We can only hold it for 30 days," Rice said, describing retention rules and the department—s audit logging and limited administrative access.

Rice reviewed the system—s origins and uses, saying Northglenn began testing Flock in 2022 and used the system to generate investigatory leads in cases including a reported kidnapping and an aggravated motor-vehicle theft that helped recover a car with an infant in the back seat. "This is just an investigatory tool," he said, and added that Flock does not perform facial recognition and that only law enforcement personnel…