Mike Johnston Says He’s Listening, but Will He Meet With Constituents?

[Exerpt from op-ed by CCG Leaders Claire Zilber and Shannon Hoffman originally published in Denver Westword]

“Denver, I hear you,” Mayor Mike Johnston said on social media when he announced that the city will not renew the Flock Safety camera contract that expires March 31. 

He claims he has heard the city, but has declined to meet with his constituents.

So, Flock is out and Axon Enterprise is on deck. 

Coloradans for the Common Good (CCG) is not convinced this is a better option for the City and County of Denver.

We have serious concerns about the danger this type of surveillance poses, especially for our immigrant community. We are worried about the implications of Axon’s $5.1 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security. It raises questions about how locally collected data could be exploited by federal enforcement officials.

Members of the Trump administration have shown a willingness to use any legal apparatus to gain information on the whereabouts of immigrants and, in some cases, U.S. citizens – whether they have criminal backgrounds or not. 

These fears cannot be dismissed….

Given the amount of data these cameras will collect, it is important that our elected officials have the opportunity to diligently review the contracts and understand the implications for residents. We need this process to slow down. 

Instead, it appears it is being fast-tracked.

The Denver Health and Safety Committee met March 11 to discuss the Axon contract. The mayor’s office failed to provide a copy of the contract, so the committee was briefed by the mayor’s policy director and the commander of the Denver Police Department. It was not until March 13, just ahead of the next committee discussion, that the contract was provided. Is that enough time for meaningful review?

And where is the opportunity for public engagement? Sure, this process is available to the public, but only to observe, not to participate.

Technology to track the citizens of Denver in our everyday lives – when we go to school, purchase groceries, drop off our ballots – is alarming. It calls for a true public hearing, a space for residents to speak up, deliberate and determine the right solution for Denver... 

We at Coloradans for the Common Good believe that most challenges can be solved or at least understood through dialogue. CCG leaders have requested a meeting with Mayor Johnston to discuss this incredibly powerful tool that will be watching all of us in Denver. So far, our request has gone unanswered.

Coloradans for the Common Good is asking for more than mere acknowledgment from the mayor. We are asking for a timely and meaningful conversation.

[Photo credit: Bennito L. Kelty, Denver Westword]

Mike Johnson Says He's Listening, but Will He Meet With Constituents?, Denver Westword [pdf]