Denver’s mayor extended the city’s contract with Flock Safety for its license plate reader network, bypassing City Council approval by accepting a no-cost, five-month extension. This move comes despite significant pushback from privacy advocates and some council members over surveillance risks and data sharing. The administration claims the new deal includes “guardrails,” such as requiring inter-agency MOUs to access Denver’s data and prohibiting searches related to immigration or reproductive healthcare. However, critics remain skeptical, pointing to Flock’s history of misleading statements and the inherent privacy dangers of mass data collection. Advocacy groups argue the decision ignores public concern and lacks transparency, turning Denver into a testbed for a profit-driven surveillance company. The extension continues a contentious debate over public safety benefits versus the erosion of civil liberties in the city.