El Paso County, Colorado sheriff ends Flock contract, removes roughly two dozen plate readers

Event: September 30, 2026 · First reported: October 1, 2026 · 17 sources

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, that it would immediately stop using its nearly two dozen Flock Safety license plate readers, sending the company a notice of non-renewal and asking that the cameras be collected. Sheriff Joseph "Joe" Roybal cited concerns about the future of the Flock program and anticipated legislation, and said in a release that his office can locate and apprehend suspects without the cameras. The cameras had been placed across unincorporated El Paso County.

Why this matters

A sheriff's decision to drop an ALPR vendor over pending legislation and program uncertainty shows how legal risk, not just cost, is reshaping surveillance procurement — while neighboring jurisdictions take different paths with different vendors.

Key facts

Notice of non-renewal sent to Flock Safety; cancellation effective immediately as announced Sept. 30, 2026
Nearly two dozen cameras across unincorporated El Paso County to be collected by the company
Sheriff Roybal attributed the decision to concerns about the Flock program's future and anticipated legislation
Colorado Springs installed 90 Axon license plate readers in March 2026, replacing 55 Flock cameras
Fountain and other municipalities in the area continue to use Flock

Timeline

October 1, 2026El Paso County Sheriff Office ends Flock contract
October 1, 2026El Paso County Sheriff’s Office ends Flock contract
October 1, 2026El Paso County Sheriff’s Office ends Flock contract
October 1, 2026El Paso County Sheriff’s Office discontinues use of Flock Safety cameras
October 2, 2026El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety cameras

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

El Paso County Sheriff Office ends Flock contract (gazette.com, October 1, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff ending agreement with Flock Safety Cameras (Https://www.kktv.com, September 30, 2026)
El Paso County sheriff discontinues contract with Flock Safety cameras (Krdo, September 30, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office ends Flock contract (Colorado Politics, October 1, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff's Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety cameras (Denver7 News, October 1, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to Discontinue Use of Flock Safety Cameras (El Paso County Sheriff's Office, October 1, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to Discontinue Use of Flock Safety Cameras (KRDO, October 1, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff Office ends Flock contract (gazette.com, October 1, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff's Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety Cameras (Koaa News 5, September 30, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office ends Flock contract (Colorado Springs Gazette, October 1, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety cameras (KKCO 11 News, October 3, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety cameras (Https://www.kjct8.com, October 3, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety cameras (KJCT, October 3, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety cameras (Newsbreak, October 3, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety cameras (KKCO 11 News, October 3, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office discontinues use of Flock Safety cameras (KRDO, October 1, 2026)
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will discontinue use of Flock Safety cameras (KJCT, October 2, 2026)

More from Colorado

Everything we have documented in Colorado, or search every Colorado article in the archive.

About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated October 5, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.