Colorado’s License Plate Camera Debate Takes a New Turn

Colorado is full of beautiful mountain towns that have operated for years without a single traffic light. Yet, if you look closely, you'll find some of these communities using FLOCK cameras and/or ALPRs.

This happened in Telluride, Colorado, from 2024 until the Town Council agreed to turn off the plate readers. Here's what happened following an October Town Council meeting.

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Telluride Is Removing Its ALPR Cameras

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Telluride’s Town Council decided to suspend funding for its Flock Safety contract, which covers two automated license plate readers that are along Highway 145 near the Spur. These cameras have been in place since 2024 and cost about $5,000 annually, according to KOTO. Based on council comments in the report, members' concerns about how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) might access or use data collected by two small cameras in San Miguel County seem to have outweighed the potential benefits of the license plate readers for Telluride.

Why the Decision Matters Beyond Telluride

Colorado communities using FLOCK cameras likely also use Automated license plate readers to capture passing vehicles' plate numbers, locations, and timestamps, including vehicles with no known connection to a crime. The information may help investigators, but residents also have questions about data access, retention, and oversight. It will be interesting to see what happens in Colorado following the election, especially if Colorado Amendment 81 passes.

Privacy Concerns Outweighed the Cameras' Benefits for Some Council Members

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Telluride Chief Marshal Josh Comte says FLOCK cameras are helpful with investigations, hit-and-runs, and DUI cases. This matters to residents and the community. However, council members seem more focused on preventing federal agencies from accessing the data. Voters will get their chance to respond at the ballot box.

Some council members questioned federal access and the protection of data from misuse. Others called for broader federal regulations, and a few even emphasized the camera’s public health benefits, according to a KOTO report from October 7.