The Castle Rock Town Council is reviewing its use of Flock license plate readers after directing staff to prepare a report comparing the company’s data policies with those of its competitors.

Councilmember Max Brooks, who raised the issue, emphasized that his concerns are not about the police department’s use of the technology. Rather, he said, the concern is that the data is owned and managed by a private company.

“We owe it to our residents to have a conversation,” Brooks said.

Brooks said concerns about Flock’s handling of data have grown in recent years, including questions about privacy protections and potential constitutional issues. He described the discussion as “a good time for a reset” and said residents deserve a thorough review of the program.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office recently switched to Axon for its camera system, citing a desire for greater control over data management and retention policies.

As part of the discussion, Brooks proposed directing town staff to prepare a report outlining how the license plate reader system operates, what data is collected, how long it is retained, concerns related to current data policies and whether other providers offer stronger controls over data ownership and privacy protections.

“It is just ensuring that we are protecting the privacy of our residents,” Brooks said, while acknowledging that the review could ultimately lead the town to maintain its current approach.

Other council members expressed support for the police department and the effectiveness of the cameras while agreeing that periodic reviews of the program are worthwhile.

Councilmember Laura Cavey said she has no objection to reviewing the policy and understands concerns raised by community members. However, she cautioned that some degree of information sharing is necessary for law enforcement purposes.

Cavey noted that data is already shared with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and said many of the concerns residents have expressed about Flock could also apply to other technology providers.