Flock camera removal process could be complicated
The short version: Denver's decision to ditch Flock cameras is good news, but 9NEWS shows that unwinding a surveillance contract is never as simple as flipping a switch.
Our Take
Credit to 9NEWS for digging into what happens after a city says "enough" to Flock Safety. Winning the political fight to cancel a contract is one thing; actually pulling poles out of the ground, wiping stored data, and confirming that a private company isn't still quietly retaining months of your license plate history is another. That gap between the press release and the reality is exactly where accountability tends to go to die.
This is the part of the surveillance debate that doesn't get enough attention: these systems are built to be sticky. Vendor contracts, data-sharing agreements with other agencies, and vague retention policies can all outlive the political will that installed the cameras in the first place. Denver residents deserve a clear, verifiable timeline for removal, not a vague promise that cameras are "being phased out" while the network keeps humming along in the background.
If you're in Denver or anywhere else watching a city grapple with this, don't just take official statements at face value. Check our camera map to see what's actually still standing near you, and use our take-action resources to push local officials for hard deadlines and proof of decommissioning, not just soundbites.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of 9NEWS, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.