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Residents push for transparency, announce Jan. 14 town hall on ALPR cameras
Summary
Public commenters and council members raised concerns about automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras and council transparency; residents organized a Jan. 14 town hall at the Thornton Community Center featuring the ACLU and a tech advocate, and invited police and city counsel to attend.
Residents urged the council on Dec. 16 to adopt greater transparency practices and to engage the public on automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras.
Steven Mabeus, a resident who spoke during audience participation, said public trust "depends on residents not being able to see just what decisions are made, but how and why," and questioned why the council—s selection of Mayor Pro Tem is carried out by secret ballot under the charter rather than by open, recorded vote. He encouraged the council to make openness the default.
Mabeus also invited the council and the public to a resident-organized town hall on Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Thornton Community Center to discuss the city's contract for Flock ALPR cameras; he said the ACLU and a technology advocate will attend and that the community has invited police and legal counsel to provide a balanced discussion.
Councilmember Martinez and Mayor Pro Tem Ayala both referenced the forthcoming town hall during council comments and encouraged attendance. Martinez said the Jan. 14 event is resident led and that the council should attend in observation; Martinez emphasized that subsequent staff-led meetings will be the venue for formal policy discussion to comply with open-meeting laws.
The public—s concerns on surveillance and data governance prompted staff and council members to note additional opportunities for formal review and information-gathering, including staff briefings and future council discussion.
