Residents raise privacy concerns about Flock Safety cameras; staff schedules work session

Several residents told Fort Collins City Council on Jan. 20 that automated license‑plate recognition systems installed around the region—known commercially as Flock Safety cameras—raise privacy and security concerns and deserve public review.

Ryan Burns, who identified himself as an AI professional, said that applying probabilistic AI tools to policing carries risks because "we can't operate on what probably is happening when we are dealing with, right and wrong and consequences that can be very dire." Alex Carlson, an Old Town resident, described the system as tracking vehicles through camera checkpoints and retaining location histories; he urged the city to make contract terms and data‑sharing practices more transparent. "Flock is not a public safety company. They are a data broker," Carlson said during his remarks.

Speakers told council they were concerned about retention practices, contract language that can grant vendors licenses to reuse content and the lack of public notice before cameras appeared in parts of the city. Multiple commenters referenced regional examples and requested that the city evaluate who is able to access datasets and whether third parties can license or resell data.

Council Member Pat Yandy and staff responded that the city has scheduled a staff report and a work session on Flock technology for Feb. 24 where council and the community will have an opportunity to learn more; staff noted that the Feb. 24 session will be informational and will not include a public‑comment period, though the public will be able to listen to the presentation.