Overview
- Nine Denver City Council members asked Auditor Tim O’Brien to refuse Mayor Mike Johnston’s five‑month, no‑cost extension of the Flock contract, alleging the move evaded council oversight.
- The auditor said he will review whether the deal was intentionally split to bypass rules, while the mayor’s office defends the extension through March 2026 as lawful and focused on public safety.
- Denver’s extension adds guardrails that require memoranda of understanding for outside access, impose a $100,000 penalty for federal sharing, restrict searchable categories, and promise audits, task‑force members said.
- In Oakland, a Public Safety Committee meeting on proposals to expand Flock, enable real‑time monitoring, and integrate private cameras was canceled for lack of a quorum and rescheduled for November 18.
- Oakland residents staged dueling rallies as Flock cited a 30‑day data deletion policy and higher clearance rates, while opponents warned about mass surveillance and potential access by federal immigration authorities.