Denver and Longmont deploy Axon license plate readers amid privacy concerns
Longmont City Council approved an Axon-powered automated license plate reader system in March 2026 despite public concerns about privacy and potential use in immigration enforcement. Denver similarly faced backlash over a proposed Axon contract, with critics arguing the AI-powered cameras could track driving patterns of immigrant communities and be shared with ICE.
What happened
Longmont City Council voted unanimously on March 25, 2026 to approve an automated license plate reader system with Axon Enterprises, with conditions requiring local data control protections and a one-year council review.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston proposed a contract with Axon for license plate readers, which faced backlash from residents and organizations like the American Friends Service Committee, though Denver's earlier attempt to use Flock Safety cameras had been rejected by the city council.
Reported impact
Residents expressed concerns that the AI-powered cameras create detailed location data profiles of driving patterns for each license plate, which can be sold to other companies, analyzed by AI, and compared against lists of people who applied for asylum or other immigration statuses.
The American Friends Service Committee and other organizations raised concerns that such data could be used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in deportation operations, particularly affecting immigrant communities and people of color.
Index analysis
Axon Enterprises holds a $370 million contract to provide ICE and DHS with body cameras, TASERs, and other technologies that have been used in immigration enforcement and deportation operations.
Longmont Police Chief David Moore stated the department has used Axon as its main digital evidence repository since 2019 for body camera footage and other sensitive files without reported breaches, and the city has worked with Axon on various technologies for approximately 25 years.
Governance controls
Longmont's approval of the Axon system came with conditions requiring local data control protections, continued public transparency reporting, and a one-year council review.
Some Longmont residents expressed disappointment that the council voted on the measure without holding at least one additional public hearing before making the decision.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.