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As of August 15, 2025, the City of Boulder has officially paused its search for a new automatic license plate reader (ALPR) provider, following sustained public opposition and growing scrutiny over privacy and civil liberties. The decision comes after city manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde agreed to delay contract negotiations and launch a community engagement plan, responding to residents who warned that the surveillance system could be abused by law enforcement and federal agencies.
The pause marks a significant shift from earlier this year, when Boulder appeared ready to renew its month-to-month contract with Flock Safety, the company that currently operates more than 40 cameras across the city. The city's own data shows a 34.5% drop in motor vehicle thefts since 2021, but critics argue that the safety gains do not justify the risks of mass surveillance. A July 2025 survey by the University of Colorado Boulder found that 68% of residents expressed serious concerns about privacy implications of ALPRs, with 42% saying they would support a ban on the cameras.
Boulder currently has 30 Flock cameras under its city contract, with additional units installed by private companies and neighborhood associations. Each camera captures and stores the license plate data of every passing vehicle, creating a location history for drivers. The Boulder Police Department uses this data to solve crimes, and officials credit Flock with helping recover stolen vehicles, locate a missing teen in an Amber Alert, and identify the suspect in the June 1, 2025, Pearl Street Mall attack. Similar success stories have been reported in Denver, where Flock data was used in 40% of homicide investigations last year and helped recover more than 400 stolen cars.
However, recent investigations have revealed troubling patterns of misuse. A 404 Media report in early 2025 documented that local law enforcement agencies across the country performed look-ups in the Flock system to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without a formal contract, effectively granting ICE "side-door access" to private surveillance data. The Washington Post reported at least 50 instances of police officers using Flock cameras to track romantic interests, relatives, or other individuals without consent. In one case, Flock data was used to track a Texas woman who obtained an out-of-state abortion, which is illegal under Texas law.
Flock Safety has defended its system, stating that all public contracts explicitly give customers 100% ownership of their data and control over sharing settings. In response to the misuse reports, the company announced a series of new guardrails scheduled for implementation in 2026, including stricter audit logs and automatic flagging of unauthorized searches. Still, privacy advocates remain skeptical. "The problem is structural," said Lindsay Reynolds, a policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "Even the best guardrails can be bypassed by a determined government, especially one that has shown willingness to weaponize data."
City manager Rivera-Vandermyde acknowledged the tension during a recent City Council meeting. "As we continue to think about the ALPRs, which I still believe can do good in our community, I am thoughtful about the concerns we all have about civil liberties and privacy," she said. "We believe there is a conversation to be had before that contract is finalized." She promised a "more detailed engagement plan" in the coming weeks, which will include public forums and online feedback.
The pause aligns with a broader national trend. Several states, including Colorado, are considering legislation that would restrict ALPR data sharing with federal agencies and require warrants for law enforcement access. In California, a bill introduced in June 2025 would ban the use of ALPR data for immigration enforcement entirely. Boulder's decision could set a precedent for other cities grappling with the same trade-offs.
For now, the month-to-month contract with Flock remains in effect, and the existing cameras continue to operate. But the city's direction is clear: no new provider will be selected until the community has a full say. Residents can voice their concerns by contacting the city manager's office, speaking at City Council meetings, or submitting letters to local newspapers. The momentum is in the
