Drive through some communities in Colorado, and your movements may be monitored by a network of cameras that track your license plate. Police say they use these cameras to respond to crime and track down suspects.
A company called Flock Safety operates dozens of these cameras in Boulder, Denver and Fort Collins. They’ve quietly photographed millions of cars over the last year. And right now, these cities are grappling with the question of whether these cameras help fight crime – or are an abuse of privacy and civil liberties.
In June, Fort Collins City Council voted to cancel its contract with Flock Safety. Denver leaders announced in February they would not renew the city’s contract with Flock. Meanwhile, officials in Boulder are also considering dropping Flock cameras after public opposition.
To better understand the debate, we reached out to Steven Keener. He’s an assistant professor of criminology at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. Keener studies the use of Flock cameras across the U.S., including their effect on crime reduction and concerns over how the data is shared.
He joined Erin O’Toole earlier this year to discuss how Flock data has been used by law enforcement, as well as some of the philosophical objections to the cameras. We’re listening back to that conversation today.
