Resident raises privacy concerns about Flock Safety cameras; commissioners direct conversation to sheriff’s office
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Summary
An AI professional told Larimer County commissioners to reconsider expanding Flock Safety license-plate camera systems and to withhold funding until transparency and auditability concerns are addressed; commissioners urged engagement with the elected sheriff, noting the sheriff’s office oversees the grant-funded cameras.
A Fort Collins resident urged Larimer County commissioners on Jan. 27 to reconsider installing additional Flock Safety license-plate readers and to pause any homeland-security funding that would be used for those systems.
Ryan Burns identified himself as an AI professional and said the vendor “has repeatedly shown that they are not willing to be transparent and are not open to any sort of audits.” He argued that predictive uses of data can produce harmful outcomes in policing and that county decisions should account for privacy and civil-liberties risks.
Commissioner Kristen Stephens said the sheriff’s office — an independently elected office — administers the grant and that board members do not directly control the sheriff’s operational decisions; she reported the sheriff told the board footage retention is 30 days and that the system records still images of license plates rather than focusing on people in vehicles. Commissioner John Kafallis said the board approved a GRAMA-related proposal for about $380,000 the prior week (requiring chair approval because of the dollar amount) and offered to facilitate meetings between the resident and the sheriff to discuss questions about camera use and transparency.
No policy change or funding withdrawal was announced at the meeting; commissioners encouraged the resident to speak with the sheriff and said staff and commissioners would continue the conversation.