eFinder

eFinder

Home › Government Surveillance › Article

A Colorado bill takes aim at Flock cameras, police surveillance technology. Here’s what’s in it.

Coloradosun · · 1600 words · By Olivia Prentzel
Government Surveillance Legislative reform Civil Liberties vs. Public Safety
open_in_new Read the original article: https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/21/senate-bill-70-colorado-surveillance-technolo…

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

12 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 6
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 2
info
“Senate Bill 70, sponsored by Boulder Democrat Sen. Judy Amabile and El Paso Republican Sen. Lynda Zamora Wilson, would also require agencies to get a warrant before accessing the databases if more than 72 hours have passed since the crime.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this claim are general descriptions of Colorado's landscape and tourism; they contain no information regarding Senate Bill 70 or its specific requirements for warrants.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Colorado is noted for its landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sep 18, 2024 · From the magical Rocky Mountain National Park to lesser-known mining towns, this list of the best places to visit in Colorado showcases the best the state has to offer.
https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-places-to-visit-in-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — From towering mountains and vibrant cities to rich cultural heritage, every part of Colorado offers a unique blend of experiences. Explore the cities below to enjoy the state's diverse activities, fla…
https://www.colorado.com/
info
“The bipartisan bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in February following five hours of testimony and about 70 people speaking on either side of the bill.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provide general information about the US Senate and unrelated bills in other jurisdictions, but no evidence regarding the specific passage of Colorado Senate Bill 70 through the Judiciary Committee in February.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the Constitution to make and pass or defeat federal legislation.The Senate and the House provide a check and balance on the power…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Should the bill pass the House Judiciary and Finance committees, and then pass the full House without any changes to the Senate version, the bill would go to the governor for his signature within a ma…
https://www.hawaiireporter.com/opponents-of-same-sex-marriag…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Controversial AI Chatbot Bill - ARFCOM News.
https://txfellowship.blogspot.com/2026/05/senate-judiciary-c…
info
“In Denver, cameras are scanning roughly 2 million plates per month, Zokaie said.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While one result mentions a petition to deactivate 111 cameras in Denver and another mentions 2 million plates at the Mall of America, there is no specific evidence provided that confirms Denver cameras scan 2 million plates per month.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A dozen cameras have been placed around our great monument to consumerism, the Mall of America, and over the last 3 months, they've managed to scan 2,275,357 license plates.
https://www.jalopnik.com/over-2-million-license-plates-were-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The scale of Flock’s network and the amount of data its users have access to are unique. Flock contracts with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States, its CEO has said, and s…
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/towns…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A coalition of privacy advocates in Denver is urging Mayor Mike Johnston to deactivate the city's 111 Flock automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras.
https://banthecams.org/posts/2025/07/17/denver-flock-camera/
info
“Statewide, there are more than 1,000 cameras and nationally, companies like Flock Safety operate more than 80,000 cameras.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source mentions Flock's ALPRs are used by over 1,000 businesses, but this does not specifically confirm '1,000 cameras in Colorado' or '80,000 cameras nationally' as stated in the claim. The evidence is too vague to corroborate the specific numbers.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Its ALPRs are used by over 1,000 businesses and roughly one-third of 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, according to Holly Beilin, Flock’s senior director of communications.
https://newrepublic.com/article/206992/flock-safety-cameras-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The company's Condor camera, for instance, "detects and tracks people," according to its website. One feature saw Flock's gunshot-detection microphone Raven add "distress" signals like "screaming" to …
https://www.bgr.com/2115954/why-people-across-us-tearing-dow…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Flock Safety cameras are used by over 70 law enforcement agencies in Washington state including Arlington, Everett, Maryville, Mill Creek, Lake Stevens, and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. The …
https://lynnwoodtimes.com/2025/01/15/alpr-cameras/
check_circle
“a recent case of when a Columbine Valley police officer used surveillance from a Flock camera to wrongly accuse a Denver woman of stealing a $25 package last fall.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent news sources (KDVR and two other web results) confirm that a Columbine Valley police officer used Flock cameras to wrongly accuse a Denver woman of stealing a package and that the officer faced discipline.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Columbine Valley police oversee both towns of Columbine Valley and Bow Mar. Police have touted the cameras’ effectiveness in catching criminals and have called the technology that allows law enforceme…
https://coloradosun.com/2025/10/28/flock-camera-police-color…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — DENVER (KDVR) — A Columbine Valley police officer is being disciplined after he was caught on video using Flock cameras to wrongly accuse a Denver woman of theft.While Elser was able to get her summon…
https://kdvr.com/news/local/officer-facing-discipline-after-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The police officer who used Flock Safety surveillance data to wrongfully accuse a Denver woman of stealing a package will face disciplinary action from his employer — though it’s not clear how.
https://denverite.com/2025/11/11/flock-package-theft-denver-…
check_circle
“Another highly publicized case was in 2020 when police held a woman and four Black girls at gunpoint in Aurora after wrongly suspecting they were inside a stolen car.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm that in 2020, Aurora police held a woman (Brittney Gilliam) and her four daughters at gunpoint due to a mistaken license plate match with a stolen vehicle, resulting in a settlement.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Colorado Police Apologize For Handcuffing A Black Family At Gunpoint In Stolen Vehicle Mix-Up.Colorado police have issued an apology for drawing their guns on a Black family after mistaking the car fo…
https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/08/9949333/aurora-poli…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In 2020, #Aurora #police wrongly detained Brittney Gilliam and her four Black daughters at gunpoint, mistaking her car for stolen. This led to a $1.9 million settlement, resolving a lawsuit alleging r…
https://www.knowyourrightscamp.org/post/city-settles-with-fa…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In 2020, for example, the Aurora police held a group of Black girls at gunpoint due to an ALPR match between their minivan’s license plate and that of a stolen motorcycle from Montana.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/17/opinion-denver-flock-poli…
info
“The initial version of the bill was amended to increase the time the collected information could be stored from five days to a month, with exceptions for valid warrants and criminal investigations.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provide general definitions and history of the US Senate and contain no information regarding amendments to Colorado Senate Bill 70's data storage limits.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, and the U.S. House of Representatives is the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Learn about the varied and important roles played by women in Senate history, from the first women to gain key staff positions to the female senators who have held positions of power and influence.
https://www.senate.gov/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · United States Senate, one of the two houses of the legislature (Congress) of the United States, established in 1789 under the Constitution. The six-year terms of about one-third of the Sen…
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Senate-United-States-govern…
info
“All 23 of Colorado’s district attorneys, both Republican and Democratic, oppose the legislation, according to El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results mention that Colorado has 23 judicial districts, but they do not provide any evidence regarding the opposition of district attorneys to Senate Bill 70.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The seven-member Colorado Supreme Court is the state's highest court. The Colorado Court of Appeals, with 22 judges, sits in divisions of three judges each. Colorado is divided into 23 judicial distri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Follow Buffaloes Wire for coverage of the Arizona State-Colorado game.
https://coloradobuffaloeswire.usatoday.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — While opposing the bill, the board acknowledged Franklin County's legitimate long-term need for a reliable water supply and its existing ties to Kerr Lake. However, the resolution outlines the followi…
https://rrspin.com/news/11721-granville-county-resolution-op…
help
“Colorado is not alone in crafting legislation that would regulate automatic license plate readers with several states, including Iowa, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, New York and New Mexico, considering similar proposals this year.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
help
“Denver, for example, decommissioned and removed all 110 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras across the city as its contract with the company expired earlier this month”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
schedule
“If the bill passes and is signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis, it would go into effect in August.”
PENDING
schedule
“It would require agencies to record when and why they access the data and compile an annual report for the public.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.