Salida police cancels Flock Safety contract over privacy concerns

14 August 2026.

The Salida Police Department canceled its contract with Flock Safety following weeks of community concerns about privacy and civil liberties. Police Chief Russ Johnson acknowledged that while the automated license plate reader system had assisted investigations, community conversations and internal discussions raised questions about data retention, information access, and potential misuse. The cancellation aligns Salida with dozens of other U.S. cities that have ended Flock relationships amid documented instances of officer misconduct and concerns about unauthorized data access.

The decision came the same day Flock announced platform changes intended to address growing bipartisan criticism. The company committed to mandatory audits by January 1, reduced standard data retention from 30 days to seven days for non-evidence data, required case-number linking for searches, and flagged emergency overrides for review. Customers will also gain control over which offense types outside agencies can search, potentially blocking immigration-related inquiries.

Civil liberties advocates expressed skepticism about the changes. The American Civil Liberties Union characterized the data retention reduction as potentially helpful but dismissed other modifications as repetitive of inadequate safeguards. Recent reporting documented nearly 50 cases of officers misusing license plate readers for personal tracking, with the Savannah Police Department firing six employees this week for unauthorized searches.

Chief Johnson stated the department remains committed to public safety and community trust, though the announcement did not specify what investigative tools will replace the Flock system. Readers can review their own municipal council minutes and police department records to determine whether similar discussions about ALPR contracts have occurred locally.

Read the original reporting: Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH).