Denver Ends Flock Safety Contract, Will Transition to Axon ALPR System

Denver has announced it will end its relationship with Flock Safety and transition to a competing automated license plate reader system from Axon, the company best known for making Tasers and police body cameras.

The decision, announced in late February 2026, follows months of intense public scrutiny after reports revealed that federal immigration enforcement agents had been using Denver's Flock Safety network to track vehicles. The revelation sparked outrage from civil liberties advocates and city council members who argued the access violated Denver's sanctuary city policies.

Mayor Mike Johnston confirmed the city would complete its contract wind-down by the end of Q2 2026. "We need technology partners that align with Denver's values and our commitment to protecting all residents," Johnston said in a statement.

The transition is estimated to cost approximately $1.2 million in switching costs, a figure critics say could have been avoided with stricter vendor controls from the outset. Axon's ALPR system offers tighter access controls and more granular audit logging, city officials noted.

Denver had deployed Flock Safety cameras across dozens of intersections since 2022. The system logged millions of plate reads per month and was integrated into the Denver Police Department's investigative workflow.

Civil liberties groups called the move a step in the right direction but warned that any ALPR system carries inherent risks without strong oversight policies. "The technology is the same regardless of the vendor," said a spokesperson for the ACLU of Colorado. "What matters is the legal framework around who can access the data and for what purposes."