The Salida Police Department has made the decision to cancel their contract with Flock Safety and discontinue use of the Flock Automated License Plate Reader system. Salida Police Chief, Russ Johnson, said that the department recognizes that the use of technology in public safety must be balanced with the privacy, civil liberties, and concerns of the people served.

He continued that over the course of the department’s partnership with Flock, the community has expressed concerns.
While the department acknowledges that the cameras have been a helpful tool in many situations, and that they have been
beneficial to assisting our city, there have been many questions about privacy, data retention, access to
information, and inappropriate use of the technology with the Flock system.

After a lengthy conversation internally and with the community, Johnson said that cancelling the contract is the
appropriate decision at this time. The Salida Police Department remains committed to keeping the
community’s safety while maintaining the trust and confidence of the people served.

“We are all members of the community first,” he said, “and we believe effective public safety depends on transparency, accountability, and an ongoing dialogue with our residents.”

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He continued that officers will continue to use investigative tools and resources to address public safety concerns and that he
appreciates the community members who took the time to share their perspectives.

“Community input is an important part of how we evaluate our policies, practices, and partnerships,” he said.


However, the release continues, the department was disappointed to see that someone elected to approach the subject with acts of vandalism to the hardware associated with the cameras. This behavior cost the taxpayers money and did nothing to change the policies or use of the LPR system. This type of behavior is never acceptable, regardless of which side of an issue someone stands. What did change the policies and use was the members of the community that used their voice and opinions as citizens to
influence the change, rather than criminal acts.

If anyone has any information about the recent damage to
Flock cameras, please contact the Salida Police Department at 719-539-6880.