Digging Into Council's Public Records on Flock

One question that keeps coming up when I speak to residents is when and how were the 18 Flock cameras approved and installed in the Town of Taos. From what little I can find so far, there was little public discussion on the record leading up to the contract's approval. Here's what I understand so far:

Former Police Chief John Wentz brought a few desired police technologies, including Flock cameras, forward to council for discussion. No action was taken but the conversation ended glibly when former Mayor Pascuel Maestas said, "So this is one that we may bring back to you. If it succeeds, then we're going to put them up and not tell anybody where they went." An odd statement, considering the agenda item was called, "Discussion to promote transparency regarding investigative tools/resources/support for the Taos Police Department."

The council also discussed updating the town's procurement policy, which appears to relate to the lack of public discussion about Flock between this meeting and the contract signing two months later. The change, made at a later council meeting to align with state procurement policies, allowed the town manager to sign contracts below $60,000 (it was previously $30,000). Anything above would require the council's approval. The Flock contract was for $51,300.

Per a public records request to the town, Flock did not appear in council agendas or minutes until eight months later, well after the contract was approved, although I was told council voted on it. When I asked for clarification, I received this reply, "We are not required to provide answers or analysis outside of providing the requested records available to this office. With this production and explanation, we consider your request closed."

Fair enough, per law, but it's also a choice of town leadership. I'm continuing to request records to gain clarity and accuracy.

The Taos News reported and editorialized about the town's consideration of Flock cameras in its two subsequent editions. The first, on Sep. 28, was a straightforward report ("Police chief shares wish list of policing tools").

The next week, on Oct. 5, the editorial board published "New police surveillance technology should involve community input," writing, "when the adoption of [Flock cameras] could carry implications for privacy for an entire community, we think that community should be able to weigh in about its pros and cons. We urge the Town of Taos to create a forum for all of us to do just that."

It appears that never happened.

The Flock Safety contract was signed by the former town manager, making way for the installation of 18 cameras around town. Based on Google Street View archives, most of the cameras were installed by the end of 2024.

The above is based on public records requests, town records, and conversations with the Town Clerk's office, which has been incredibly helpful in expeditiously replying to requests. It's entirely possible I'm missing something and welcome comments below to help fill in the blanks and make corrections for the record. I consider this an open source community project and welcome input.

Here are the main tools I've used:

Direct questions? Reach out to me, Zach Behrens, at [email protected].