DENVER (KDVR) — Hundreds of people packed City Hall in Denver on Wednesday night, sharing concerns about holding a Fluke camera in the city.
“Then, in July, we learned through Denver audit logs that Denver Flock cameras had been accessed more than 1,400 times, with the reason for the search being ICE,” a spokesperson said.
The City Council included leaders of five neighborhood organizations, including the Whittier Neighborhood Association, the East Colfax Neighborhood Association, and the Villa Park Neighborhood Association. During the meeting, many called for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston to be arrested.
“The mayor announced this morning that he, once again, unilaterally, without a public process or council vote, will extend the city’s contract with ICE,” a spokesperson for the Party for Socialism and Liberation-Denver said.
Tim Huffman, policy director for the Denver Mayor’s Office, also attended the meeting.
Hoffman said during the meeting: “I think there is a fundamental disagreement about that. Yes, there are pictures that are taken… but they are not searched by anyone unless your car is suspected of being involved (in a crime).” “I want to be very clear that it is not the position of the mayor and the mayor’s office that you should not expect privacy when you enter the road.”
Hoffman’s remarks were interrupted by chants of, “Prove it,” among other things.
“I have made clear to Fluke leadership that I expect full transparency and that anything less will spell the end of our relationship,” Johnston said in his announcement Wednesday morning.
In May, the Denver City Council voted unanimously to reject a contract extension with Fluke, citing privacy concerns and questioning who has access to Denver data as the city remains in the Trump administration’s crosshairs due to so-called “safe harbor” rules. FOX31’s Nate Belt was also told in May that the mayor’s office asked the council to vote against renewing the contract.
However, the mayor approved a contract extension in August, which was just short of the cost amount that needed a council vote.According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado.
Johnston said Wednesday that new measures have been added to the contract extension that include blocking access to city data to outside agencies without a memorandum of understanding, and a $100,000 fine for the technology company if or when data is shared with the federal government.
Other restrictions include allowing searches for a limited number of crimes, and not conducting searches related to immigration or reproductive health care, the mayor’s office said Wednesday. The mayor’s office also said audits will be conducted to ensure no bad actors gain access.
However, those attending the city hall Wednesday evening were not convinced. When statements were made confirming that the data would remain private, shouts erupted from the crowd saying that these assertions were not true.
Many reiterated their opinion during the town hall that these measures would not be respected or followed, saying they were concerned that the technology could be used to track immigrants or individuals who come to the state to seek health care procedures, such as abortions.
The Denver Police Department says Fluke cameras have led to more than 350 arrests and the recovery of more than 250 stolen vehicles.
Denver City Councilwoman Sarah Paradis took to the internet on Wednesday and shared her concerns about Johnston’s actions.
“Mayor Mike Johnston announced a behind-the-scenes agreement with Flock’s CEO to make several back-end changes to Denver’s Flock system that he believes are sufficient to address concerns about the technology,” Paradis wrote. “His administration is putting a no-cost, 5-month extension in place immediately, without public input or council approval.”
Paradis was also at the city hall Wednesday evening, where she said it was to hear the community’s concerns about the mayor’s decision.
“I was stunned to learn late yesterday that after convening a task force of local and national experts, Mayor Johnston was secretly negotiating with the notorious CEO of Flock Safety and signing another unilateral extension of this mass surveillance contract with no public process, no City Council vote, or input from his own task force,” Paradis posted on Instagram.
Two million license plate photos are taken in Denver each month and disseminated to a “massive national sharing network of thousands of law enforcement agencies,” she said. She said that Fluke put Denver’s data on the network Without the knowledge or permission of Denver or the Denver Police Department.
Councilman Kevin Flynn said the guardrails prove the city can enhance safety while ensuring data is restricted. The new contract runs until March 2026.