An automatic $30,000 contract renewal for five Flock cameras in Glenrock and neighboring Rolling Hills has been extended by 30 days, giving the town more time to consider changes to the agreement after growing public concerns about the surveillance system.
The 24-month contract covering four cameras in Glenrock and one in Rolling Hills was scheduled to automatically renew Oct. 14 unless the town provided written notice of non-renewal by Monday.
Glenrock Police Chief Colter Felton told Cowboy State Daily he is asking Flock Safety to make changes to its standard contract to more specifically address how the system is used in Glenrock.
“Flock uses a universal contract,” Felton said.
He said he is asking the company for added language in Glenrock’s contract to specify what Flock does and does not do, to ease people’s concerns about the automated license plate readers.
“They’re very receptive,” Felton said of the company.
The 30-day extension will give the town time to work with Flock on those changes and then bring a revised contract before the Glenrock Town Council for review, Felton said.
He said he does not want to present the council with a document that simply outlines what he would like to see changed.
“I want it to be concrete,” he said. “I don’t want to rush it. I want it to be right.”
Growing Questions
The extension comes after public backlash against the cameras and how the cameras got there to begin with. The cameras have been operating for roughly two years.
They were purchased and installed in 2024 after the Glenrock Police Department included them in its budget. The initial contract, signed July 24, 2024, committed the police department to $34,450 for two years of Flock Safety equipment, including $4,450 in one-time professional services fees for implementation and testing.
Felton has said the issue was discussed during council meetings at the time, but there was little public controversy.
Felton obtained a Wyoming Department of Transportation permit to install the cameras on highway rights of way near Glenrock. The cameras are positioned around the edges of town and are intended to monitor vehicles entering and leaving the community.
The issue attracted more attention this summer after a Cowboy State Daily public-records request revealed the WYDOT permit. Residents subsequently began asking who had authorized the cameras, where they are located, why the town needed them, and who controls the information collected.
At an Aug. 26 special Town Council meeting, a standing-room-only crowd of 40 to 50 people gathered to ask questions about the system. Some residents left frustrated that they still did not have answers.
The concerns have included privacy, data collection and the extent to which information gathered can be accessed through Flock’s larger network.
The cameras use automated license-plate recognition technology to photograph passing vehicles and can provide law enforcement with information that might help identify vehicles connected to criminal investigations. Felton has said the primary purpose of Glenrock’s cameras is public safety, including investigations involving crimes such as bank robberies and kidnappings.
Residents Push For Oversight
Glenrock Town Attorney Amy Iberlin told Cowboy State Daily in a text message that the contract will not automatically renew.
She said in a phone call late Friday afternoon that she needs more time to thoroughly review and understand the parameters of the current contract. She said her first look at any contract having to do with Flock cameras in Glenrock happened this week.
After her initial review of the contract, Iberlin said it still wasn’t clear to her how Flock data is stored, exactly what data is captured and how the data is used.
In an email exchange between Iberlin and Glenrock resident Jack Street shared with Cowboy State Daily, Iberlin confirmed that “the pause will remain until questions are answered and real oversight and accountability measures are in place.”
If it takes longer than 30 days to resolve the issues at hand and put an accountability system into place, she said she would not feel comfortable moving forward with a Flock renewal.
“People are asking really important questions,” she said.
Street said he was pleased with Iberlin’s response to his inquiries about the Flock system.
“She really understands where we’re coming from,” Street said. “She really sees it to be a big concern.”
Councilwoman Judi Collins declined to comment and directed Cowboy State Daily to Iberlin.
Petition Still Moving Forward
Despite the extension, Brow said the residents opposed to the renewal still intend to move forward with a petition.
“We are still moving forward because we have questions,” Brow said.
The group plans to present a petition to the Town Council at its Monday meeting.
The Flock contract renewal is not listed as an item on the council’s agenda.
Felton said he does not expect to discuss the matter Monday.
“My understanding is that it has not made its way to the agenda,” he said.
Brow said residents have spent significant amounts of money obtaining public records about the cameras.
“We shouldn’t have to do that as taxpaying citizens,” she said. “We just want transparency.”
Street said residents also want clear policies governing how the technology is used.
“I really want to see some oversight on the Flock,” he said. “Any other job has policies and procedures. They are not held accountable by anything that says they have to follow their policies and procedures.”
The group also has discussed pursuing broader action on automated license-plate readers, Brow said
Pause In The Conversation
Despite their continuing concerns, both Brow and Street said they see the 30-day extension as an opportunity for a more productive conversation with town officials.
Brow said Felton has been responsive to residents’ questions.
“(Chief) Felton has been graciously answering questions,” she said. “We’re going to be respectful and we’re going to ask the hard questions.”
Street said Iberlin’s response was a meaningful step.
“It shows that concerns raised by the community are being taken seriously, and it creates space for real conversation about transparency and proper safeguards,” he said.
“I appreciate the respectful dialogue and the willingness to hit pause,” Street said. “This is a good starting point.”
The proposed Flock system contract renewal would cost $30,000 for another 24 months - $15,000, or $3,000 per camera, per year.
Kate Meadows can be reached at kate@cowboystatedaily.com.
