Health and Safety Committee Meeting: Surveillance Task Force Update – January 28, 2026

The Health and Safety Committee of the Denver City Council met on January 28, 2026, to receive an update on the Surveillance Technology Task Force. The meeting was chaired by Council Member Darrell Watson (District 9). The main agenda item was a briefing by Tim Hoffman (Director of Policy, Mayor's Office) and Tara Segura (Technology Services) on the task force's progress, including changes to the city's vendor risk assessment, ongoing work on data protection, and next steps toward a potential surveillance technology ordinance. Council members asked detailed questions about FLOCK data, data retention, contract oversight, and protections for sensitive locations such as reproductive health clinics.

Consent Calendar

• The chair noted two items on the consent calendar; none were pulled for discussion, and the items were approved without debate.

Discussion Items

• Task Force Update: Tim Hoffman presented the full membership list of the task force, which includes city council members, administration representatives, community groups, and academic experts. The task force's mission is to create a shared framework and clear standards for surveillance technology. So far, the group has catalogued current policies (e.g., vendor risk assessment, DPD Operations Manual Section 119), conducted a risk assessment identifying 18 risks (e.g., data breaches, misuse by federal agencies), and reviewed mitigation strategies. The task force has also surveyed ordinances from cities such as Seattle, New York, Madison, and Berkeley.
• Changes to Vendor Risk Assessment: Tara Segura reported that technology services has expanded privacy-related questions in the vendor assessment, added language educating vendors about Denver's records retention obligations (different from GDPR), and implemented breach and remedy language in contracts. A new PII (Personally Identifiable Information) exhibit has been added to all data-related contracts, including a prohibition on sharing data with federal agencies for immigration enforcement. Ongoing vendor management improvements include annual assessments and an innovation portal for city employees.
• Motorola 911 System Contract: Council Member Torres asked about applying task force lessons to the upcoming Motorola contract for the 911 system. Segura confirmed that Motorola agreed to all contract terms, including the PII exhibit and data access controls, and that the system will meet strict CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Systems) requirements. The data will be owned and controlled by the city.
• Outstanding FLOCK Questions: Council Member Parity (online) raised outstanding questions about FLOCK's prior data disclosures, including whether FLOCK has ever responded to subpoenas or exigency requests involving Denver data, and requested a narrower review of search logs by Denver-area and federal agencies. Hoffman agreed to follow up with FLOCK.
• Data Retention and Immigration Enforcement Concerns: Council Members Alvidrez, Romero-Campbell, and Chair Watson expressed concerns about the storage of license plate data for 30 days and potential misuse, particularly in light of increased federal immigration enforcement. Council Member Alvidrez asked whether the city can track current ICE activity and requested statistics on crimes solved with ALPRs. Chief (unidentified) confirmed that data on crime-solving outcomes can be provided.
• Sensitive Locations: Chair Watson asked about protections for reproductive health clinics and other sensitive sites. Hoffman said the task force is planning to meet with reproductive rights groups. He noted that cameras are on public right-of-way and that any subpoenas for out-of-state abortion-related data would be denied per Denver and Colorado law. Council Member Gonzalez-Gutierrez supported including proximity requirements in a future ordinance.
• Contract Oversight and Innovation: Council President Sandoval asked about ongoing contract monitoring and partnership with universities for subject matter expertise. Hoffman and Segura described annual vendor assessments, an innovation portal, and collaborations with DU and Bloomberg initiatives. Two professors currently serve on the task force.
• Request for Council Review of Small Contracts: Council Member Gonzalez-Gutierrez requested that the administration voluntarily bring surveillance technology contracts under $500,000 (which do not require council approval) to council for review, citing the spirit of collaboration. Council Member Flynn added historical context: the FLOCK contract extension was handled below the threshold after the council voted down the original contract in May 2025, per an agreement with the mayor's office. Council President Sandoval disputed being part of that agreement.

Key Outcomes

• The task force will continue its line-by-line review of surveillance risks and potential ordinance language, aiming to present a more concrete proposal to the committee in one to two months.
• Hoffman committed to follow up on outstanding FLOCK data requests, including subpoena history and search log details.
• The administration will provide data on crimes solved using ALPRs and will explore providing information on ICE activity in Denver.
• Technology services will proceed with the Motorola contract for the 911 system, incorporating the new data protections.
• The task force will invite reproductive rights organizations to present their concerns at a future meeting.
• No formal votes were taken; the meeting adjourned after the discussion.