Independent public records project · Archuleta County, Colorado
This project files public records requests to establish, on paper, who runs it, what it costs, how long it keeps a record of your movements, and who is able to search that data.
Status
Every request filed by this project is listed here, with its current status, whether or not the outcome is favorable.
The request
The same ten items went to every custodian. Nothing here asks for any private individual's information. Every item concerns how a public agency spends public money and operates a public surveillance system.
On the record
On July 29, 2026, the Town of Pagosa Springs responded in writing that neither the Town nor its Police Department holds an agreement with Flock Safety, that neither has direct access to the system, and that neither possesses responsive records. The Town identified the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office as the operator of the system.
A review of the County's published Board of County Commissioners agendas and minutes did not surface any public item referencing Flock Safety or automated license plate readers. That is not a conclusion. The County posts each meeting separately and the review was not exhaustive. The open question is whether this system was ever presented to the Board in public session, and the pending requests are meant to answer it.
Everything published here is a public record, a written statement from a public agency, or an open question clearly marked as one. When documents arrive they will be posted in full, including anything that weighs against removing the cameras.
Context
License plate readers photograph every passing vehicle, not only those connected to a crime, and store the results in a database that can be searched later. Because agencies share access with one another, a camera in one county can be queried from well outside it. Whether that trade is worth making is a decision for residents and the officials they elect. It is difficult to make at all without knowing the terms.
Other Colorado jurisdictions have taken it up in the open. Denver's City Council voted against renewing its Flock contract. Douglas County moved off the system entirely. Arapahoe County expanded its program in public session with the cost on the record. Archuleta County residents are owed the same public accounting.
Questions
No. Law enforcement agencies are entitled to investigative tools, and this project takes no position on the competence or good faith of any officer or deputy. The question here is narrower and procedural: what are the written terms of this system, and were they ever adopted in public? Agencies that can answer those questions have nothing to fear from the asking.
The Colorado Open Records Act gives any person the right to inspect most records held by a state or local government body. No reason, residency, or affiliation is required. A request is simply a written description of the records sought, sent to the agency's custodian of records, who then has three working days to respond absent extenuating circumstances.
Yes, and it is easier than most people expect. The templates used by this project are available on request and can be adapted to any Colorado agency in a few minutes. Requests carry more weight when they come from more than one resident.
Yes. Records will be posted as received. A project that publishes selectively is not a records project, and the value of this one depends entirely on the documents being able to speak for themselves.
Participate
Two things matter more than anything else: showing up, and filing your own request. The Board of County Commissioners meets at 398 Lewis Street, with agendas posted at archuletacounty.gov. Town Council meets the first Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. at 551 Hot Springs Boulevard.
Request templates, correspondence, and any documents received are available to anyone who asks.