Cottonwood Council Faces Calls for Public Surveillance Debate

A bipartisan coalition called on the City Council to give the public a voice on surveillance technology already in use.

In Cottonwood, Arizona, residents spent the summer of 2026 sounding the alarm over what they see as a growing threat to privacy and civil liberties.

On August 4th, they took those concerns directly to City Council.

Backed by Live Free AZ and a coalition of citizens from across the political spectrum, they came with one simple request: a public meeting where the community could weigh in on the mass surveillance technology already operating in their city.

Sedona resident Sandy Boyce, who successfully led the effort to remove Flock Safety cameras from her community, said Cottonwood residents packed Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

Seven speakers urged council members to place the city's Flock contract on a future agenda for a dedicated public discussion.

Boyce also pointed out that in June 2025, the Cottonwood City Council approved an expansion of its Flock contract, including a drone, as part of its consent agenda, without a separate public discussion focused on the surveillance technology.

Cottonwood's next regularly scheduled City Council meeting, set for August 18th, has been canceled.

Jen's Two Cents will continue following the Cottonwood City Council agenda for any discussion related to Flock Safety, Axon, surveillance technology, or future opportunities for public input.