Longmont Swaps ALPR Vendor to Axon Amid AI Oversight Calls

City council approves new surveillance tech contract despite resident concerns over privacy and lack of public input

Apr. 2, 2026 at 5:21pm

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Three months after Longmont residents pushed back against the city's use of Flock Security Systems for automated license plate recognition (ALPR) technology, the Longmont Police Department has presented Axon as its preferred alternative vendor. While some residents welcomed the departure from Flock, many expressed concerns over the lack of public input and the need for stronger oversight of AI-powered tools.

Why it matters

The decision to switch ALPR vendors highlights the ongoing tensions between law enforcement's use of surveillance technology and community concerns over privacy, data misuse, and the need for transparent governance of AI systems. As more cities adopt these technologies, there are growing calls for formal frameworks to evaluate their impacts and ensure they align with community values.

The details

During Tuesday's city council meeting, the Longmont Police Department touted Axon's data encryption and security protocols as superior to Flock's. Assistant Chief Phil Piotrowski also emphasized the department's longstanding 25-year partnership with Axon. Council voted shortly after to approve the new Axon contract, catching many residents off guard. Several residents, including members of the local DeFlock Longmont group, criticized the lack of public comment before the vote and called for more oversight of the technology. Software engineer Kellen Lesk raised technical questions about Axon's cloud infrastructure, while others argued the city should have a formal framework for evaluating AI-powered tools like Axon's report-writing AI.

  • In December 2025, the city council voted 5-1 to reject any expansion of its contract with Flock Security Systems.
  • On Tuesday, the city council approved a new contract with Axon as the preferred ALPR vendor.

The players

Zach Ardis

Public Safety Chief for the Longmont Police Department.

Phil Piotrowski

Assistant Chief for the Longmont Police Department.

Andrew Palmer

Member of the DeFlock Longmont group, a local movement opposing the city's use of surveillance technology.

Kellen Lesk

A software engineer who raised technical concerns about Axon's cloud infrastructure.

Emily Astranova

A resident who expressed concerns about Axon's AI-powered police report writing tool.

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What they’re saying

“They've been integral in police operations throughout that time. They've built their product in a way that they understand what we need for security from them.”

— Phil Piotrowski, Assistant Chief, Longmont Police Department

“The police did not present much of a case for why they need this technology. I would have preferred the council to wait at least one additional session before voting.”

— Andrew Palmer, Member, DeFlock Longmont

“In order to make updates to the system, they need access to the system. Terms like 'encrypted data' and 'access' can become slippery in practice, and important questions about metadata and system configuration were never put to the company during the presentation.”

— Kellen Lesk, Software Engineer

“AI is a catch-all term. Large language models, machine vision, facial recognition, and optical character recognition are distinct technologies with distinct risks, and city policy should reflect that.”

— Emily Astranova, Resident

“I have deep-seated concerns, as I think most of the community does, about the existence of ALPR tech, generally. The conversation is not over.”

— Marsing, City Council Member

What’s next

Council members Popkin and Marsing both indicated openness to forming a technology oversight or advisory committee to help council navigate AI-related decisions going forward.

The takeaway

The decision to switch ALPR vendors in Longmont highlights the ongoing tensions between law enforcement's use of surveillance technology and community concerns over privacy, data misuse, and the need for transparent governance of AI systems. As more cities adopt these technologies, there are growing calls for formal frameworks to evaluate their impacts and ensure they align with community values.