Douglas County sheriff swaps Flock for Axon

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is dumping Flock Safety after Sheriff Darren Weekly said he lost trust in the surveillance technology company.

State of play: County commissioners last week approved a nearly $23 million, 10-year contract with Axon, which makes Tasers, body cameras, drones and license plate readers.

• The new agreement starts Jan. 1, 2027, and includes a $1.9 million first-year purchase.
• Axon readers will replace 50 Flock cameras, with another 50 installed near major roads and intersections.
• The contract also includes 20 drone-as-first-responder aircraft, including four high-speed drones planned for 2028.

Context: DCSO already uses Axon's body camera and Tasers, and it's integrating Draft One, the company's controversial AI report-writing software.

Why it matters: The Flock-to-Axon move is a striking about-face for the sheriff, who once championed Flock and now says the company is failing to keep up.

• It also comes as agencies nationwide face growing scrutiny over privacy and data sharing practices.

The intrigue: Weekly defended Flock last year, arguing the cameras helped deputies catch suspects and recover stolen vehicles.

Yes, but: The sheriff tells Axios his confidence was shaken after a Flock camera at Sandstone Ranch Open Space in Larkspur was left exposed online before the company detected the problem.

• Other issues surfaced, but he declined to elaborate.
• Weekly says the company seemed "behind the curve" and "not anticipatory" in responding to privacy and policy concerns.

In the room: The sheriff met this summer with Flock CEO Garrett Langley.

• "Trust was lost, specifically with me," Weekly says. "I was very candid with their CEO ... and I told him, 'We have problems.'"

Zoom in: Sheriff's officials say one reason for the switch is that Axon gives DCSO ownership and control of its license plate reader data.

• Records will be deleted after 30 days unless tied to a criminal investigation, Weekly says.
• The readers don't identify drivers, access vehicle registration records or use facial recognition.

Zoom out: Flock has become a flash point in debates over surveillance, data sharing and civil liberties.

• Denver has replaced Flock with Axon.
• LAPD paused its Flock contract this month.
• Boulder is reviewing bids for its next vendor.

What's next: Weekly says other Douglas County law enforcement agencies are taking "a hard look" at their relationships with Flock.

• Lone Tree says it hasn't discussed making a change.
• Castle Rock and Parker did not immediately respond to questions.