Avon has ordered its 12 Flock license plate cameras removed. But taking down the cameras does not, by itself, tell drivers what happens to records already collected.
The town has announced instructions to stop accessing and sharing the camera data. Its announcement does not give a date when all previously collected records will be deleted.
For anyone who drives through Avon, that distinction matters.
What Avon Has Ordered
Following its October 6 council meeting, Avon directed staff to terminate its Flock Safety contract and arrange for the cameras’ removal as soon as practicable.
Police Chief Greg Daly also directed staff to immediately discontinue access to the camera data, disable access to the vehicle-alert list, and stop sharing ALPR information with other law enforcement agencies. ALPR stands for automated license plate reader.
The town’s announcement does not provide a firm date for completing the physical removal. Read Avon’s announcement.
Does That Mean Your Data Is Gone?
The information reviewed for this article does not confirm that Avon’s previously collected license plate records have all been deleted.
Stopping access, ending data sharing and deleting stored records are different actions.
Flock’s published evidence policy says license plate data is permanently deleted after the customer’s retention period expires. It describes a standard period of seven days, while allowing different periods under individual agreements or applicable requirements.
That general policy does not establish which retention period applies to Avon—or provide an Avon-specific deletion date.
The company’s policy also discusses images that customers have already downloaded and stored outside the platform. This means deletion from Flock’s system should not be treated as proof that every previously saved copy has disappeared. We have not established whether Avon or another agency holds such copies. Read Flock’s evidence policy.
Why the Council Was Divided
According to David O. Williams’ reporting for Vail Daily, the council voted 4–3 to end the contract.
Kevin Hyatt, Ruth Stanley, Lindsay Hardy and Gary Brooks supported ending the program. Mayor Tamra Underwood, Mayor Pro Tem Rich Carroll and Chico Thuon supported keeping it.
The debate included concerns about who could access information and whether it could reach beyond approved sharing partners. Supporters of keeping the cameras argued that they help police investigate crimes and that stronger safeguards were preferable to removal.
Those arguments explain the disagreement; they do not establish that ending the program will cause a particular change in crime. Read Vail Daily’s coverage.
What About Speed Cameras?
This decision concerns the town’s Flock license plate camera program. It should not be read as an announcement that Avon is removing every traffic camera.
Vail Daily reported that several council members who supported ending Flock also supported keeping the separate speed cameras.
What Drivers Still Need to Know
The remaining questions are specific:
- When will each Flock camera stop collecting information and be removed?
- What retention period applies to Avon’s existing records?
- Have any records been downloaded or preserved elsewhere, and what rules govern those copies?
For now, the confirmed action is the town’s direction to end the program and discontinue data access and sharing. A complete answer about previously collected records still requires further confirmation.
Sources reviewed October 8, 2026. This article distinguishes announced instructions from independently verified completion.
Image credit: Illustrative surveillance camera photo; not identified as one of Avon’s cameras. Photo: Giant Asparagus / Pexels.
