Commerce City Council has signed off on a major expansion of its surveillance partnership with Flock, approving a five-year package worth roughly $4.5 million. The ordinance passed its final reading on April 6, with the agreement set to begin that week and an immediate budget boost to start installations. Supporters say the tools help recover stolen vehicles and speed up investigations, while critics warn the move raises fresh privacy risks and opens the door to broader data-sharing.
Council Signs Off On Five-Year Flock Expansion
The ordinance authorizes a 60-month contract listed at $4,560,478 and sets the start date as April 6, 2026, according to Commerce City Legistar. It also recognizes $608,900 in additional 2026 funding to launch the expansion. The measure was introduced on first reading in March and cleared second and final reading on April 6, which made the related budget amendment effective immediately. The five-year funding plan spreads installation and operating costs across multiple city funds and shows an estimated year-one buildout cost of about $912,095.
What City Officials Say The Tech Delivers
Police walked council through a study session slide deck that credits the Flock system with 528 gun-fire alerts and 36 stolen-vehicle recoveries inside the existing pilot area. The same presentation outlines a larger rollout that includes dozens of additional cameras, mobile trailers, Real Time Crime Center integration and two drones intended to speed response and investigations. Those figures and the five-year funding blueprint appear in the city's study session materials, as outlined in Commerce City Legistar. Staff told council that data would be stored in an AWS GovCloud environment with CJIS-level protections and a default automatic deletion period of 30 days.
Privacy Pushback And Regional Fallout
The expansion drew lengthy public comment and a split reaction on council, with the ordinance first introduced in March and advancing on a 6-3 vote, according to a recap from the City of Commerce City. Advocacy groups and residents pushed for an independent audit and tighter city rules after broader reporting and organizing highlighted cross-jurisdictional and federal queries of Flock data. The ACLU of Colorado has said audit logs show Flock data in the state was queried more than 1,400 times for immigration-related purposes. Commerce City's move landed just days after Denver opted to replace Flock with a one-year Axon contract amid the same controversy, as reported by CBS Colorado.
What Comes Next For Commerce City
City staff said they will return to council with contract-execution steps and related procurement items, while several councilmembers and community groups signaled they plan to pursue additional oversight or a public audit even as installations go forward. Meeting summaries filed with the city suggest follow-up work on data-sharing policies and transparency is still on the table, according to Citizen Portal. For now, the newly approved ordinance locks in funding and clears the administrative path for Commerce City to begin the planned rollout under its existing procurement rules.
