Story perspectives

Longmont Council Rejects ALPR Expansion Amid Privacy Concerns

12/15/2025

Summary

Story summary

Longmont, Colorado, city council voted 5-1 to reject expanding the contract with Flock Safety after about 90% of attendees expressed privacy concerns.
Critics cited Flock Safety’s data retention policy and untested AI recognition, which has produced false positives.
Nationwide protests against similar ALPR installations emerged, including vandalism in Suffolk, Virginia.
Activists launched the DeFlock project to map Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) despite legal threats from Flock Safety.

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Story summary

Longmont, Colorado, city council voted 5-1 to reject expanding the contract with Flock Safety after about 90% of attendees expressed privacy concerns.
Critics cited Flock Safety’s data retention policy and untested AI recognition, which has produced false positives.
Nationwide protests against similar ALPR installations emerged, including vandalism in Suffolk, Virginia.
Activists launched the DeFlock project to map Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) despite legal threats from Flock Safety.