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Residents urge Rangely council to remove Flock surveillance cameras over privacy and security concerns
Summary
Public commenters told the Rangely Town Council the Flock camera system poses privacy and security risks, cited reports of overseas AI‑training of footage and alleged device vulnerabilities, and questioned whether the town should continue a roughly $9,000‑per‑year contract amid fiscal strains.
Public commenters urged the Rangely Town Council to remove the town’s contract with Flock, a private license‑plate‑reading/camera vendor, citing privacy, security and fiscal concerns.
At the public‑input period, Mark Stamos said residents do not want “this private for‑profit mass surveillance system” and pointed to news reports that videos from some municipal Flock cameras have been used for AI training overseas. He also argued the devices run on outdated software and noted entries in the NIST vulnerability database that he said apply to both the cameras and their operating software.
Don Davidson asked the council to confirm the town’s contract cost and schedule, saying he understood the agreement to be about $9,000 per year (roughly $18,000 over its two‑year term) and expressed worry about committing scarce local funds given other fiscal pressures. Lisa, the interim town manager, and council members confirmed the recurring cost and the two‑year recommit option.
The speakers framed their concerns narrowly: privacy and the security posture of the equipment, who can access stored or live video, and whether the town should prioritize the expense. Council members acknowledged the comments during the public‑input portion and did not take immediate action on the contract in this meeting; staff noted the item may require further review.
The council did not vote on the surveillance contract at this session; public commenters asked for further study and for the council to consider removal or renewed scrutiny of the vendor arrangements.
