The Denver Justice Project proudly joined the No Flock movement alongside our partners at the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and other community organizations to push back against Mayor Mike Johnston’s unilateral and dangerous decision to continue Denver’s contract with Flock Safety—a move that keeps hundreds of mass surveillance cameras active across our city.
Earlier this year, Denver City Council voted unanimously against renewing the Flock contract, recognizing the grave risks it poses to privacy, civil rights, and community trust. Instead of respecting that decision, Mayor Johnston found a loophole, slashing the contract to $499,000—just below the $500,000 threshold that would require Council approval. This maneuver effectively bypassed our elected representatives and the will of the people.
The implications are chilling. Flock cameras track the day-to-day movements of everyone in Denver, storing data that can be shared with federal law enforcement agencies—including ICE—without adequate oversight. In some cases, even the City of Denver admits it has no control or visibility over how this data is used once shared. This technology creates a digital dragnet that puts Black, Brown, and immigrant communities at heightened risk of profiling, surveillance, and deportation.
On October 22, we joined the community in a packed and powerful action to demand that Mayor Johnston turn the Flock cameras off. The turnout was incredible—standing-room-only crowds filled the main chamber, two overflow rooms, and even the hallways and sidewalks outside. City Council members Sarah Parady, Serena Gonzales-Gutiérrez, and Shontel Lewis stood in solidarity with the community, denouncing this executive overreach and the erosion of democratic process.
Let’s be clear: this is not safety—it’s surveillance. Mayor Johnston’s decision represents a disturbing slide toward a police state, where mass data collection replaces accountability, and privacy becomes a privilege instead of a right. This dystopian “RoboCop” reality has no place in Denver.
People are at their breaking point. We refuse to live under constant watch by a system that prioritizes policing over people. The Denver Justice Project will continue to stand with our communities to demand transparency, accountability, and the immediate end of Flock surveillance in our city.
Together, we say:
No to Flock. No to mass surveillance. Yes to community safety rooted in justice and trust.
