Full transcript
COVERING COLORADO FIRST.
ALL RIGHT. KENNEDY. THANK
YOU. HAPPENING TODAY, SOME
DENVER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE
TRYING TO STOP A PLAN TO KEEP
FLOCK CAMERAS IN THE CITY.
LAST WEEK, MAYOR MIKE
JOHNSON ANNOUNCED A DEAL TO
KEEP CAMERAS OPERATING IN THE
CITY FOR FIVE MORE MONTHS WHILE
PUTTING RESTRICTIONS ON DATA
SHARING.
YOUR REPORTER, JUSTIN ADAMS,
IS OUTSIDE THE CITY AND COUNTY
BUILDING AHEAD OF TODAY'S
MEETING.
AND JUSTIN, THE MAYOR, MADE
THAT DEAL WITHOUT COUNCIL
APPROVAL.
YEAH, MICHELLE, BECAUSE OF
THAT, NINE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
ARE ASKING THE CITY'S AUDITOR
TO STEP IN AND GO AND STOP THAT
CONTRACT. THE CITY'S AUDITOR
SAYS HE IS LOOKING INTO WHETHER
OR NOT THE MAYOR ACTED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH CITY
CONTRACTING RULES. OVER THE
WEEKEND, THE MAJORITY OF THE
COUNCIL SIGNED ON TO A LETTER
ASKING THE AUDITOR TO NOT TO
SIGN THE CONTRACT, SAYING IN
PART THERE STILL CONCERNS OVER
FLOCKS TRUSTWORTHINESS AND THE
WAY THE DEAL WAS DONE BEHIND
THEIR BACKS OF CITY COUNCIL
MEMBERS. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
ALSO ACCUSED MAYOR MIKE JOHNSON
OF DELIBERATELY INVADING CITY
COUNCIL OVERSIGHT OF THE FLOCK
AGREEMENT BY VIOLATING CITY
CONTRACTING RULES.
IN THE SAME WAY THAT I AM
OPPOSED TO KINGS AT THE FEDERAL
LEVEL, I'M ALSO OPPOSED TO
KINGS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
NO MATTER HOW MANY
GUARDRAILS THEY SET UP, THERE
ARE ALWAYS WAYS AROUND IT, AND
COLLECTING THE DATA IN THE
FIRST PLACE IS VERY DANGEROUS.
IN RESPONSE TO THE CITY
COUNCIL LETTER, A SPOKESPERSON
FOR MAYOR MIKE JOHNSON RELEASED
A STATEMENT SAYING ON TUESDAY,
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. IT SAYS IT
IS THE MAYOR'S JOB TO KEEP THE
CITY SAFE. LICENSE PLATE
READERS DO JUST THAT. AND THERE
IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS NO COST
EXTENSION THAT IS BEYOND THE
SCOPE OF THE MAYOR'S
RESPONSIBILITIES OR AUTHORITY.
DENVER CITY COUNCIL'S HEALTH
AND SAFETY COMMITTEE IS
PLANNING ON DISCUSSING THE
FLOCK ISSUE LATER AGAIN TODAY,
WITH AN UPDATED SCHEDULE ON THE