Senate Bill 70 Misses the Mark for Eagle County

In Eagle County, public safety isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.

It’s the server in Avon closing up after a late shift.
It’s the small retailer in Vail Village locking the door at night.
It’s the family driving I-70 in a snowstorm to make a ski lesson on time.

Our mountain communities work because people feel safe living here, working here, and visiting here. That sense of safety isn’t accidental — it’s something we invest in and protect every single day.

That’s why Senate Bill 70 gives me real pause.

In places like the Vail Valley, public safety and economic vitality are inseparable. We welcome millions of visitors each year. They park in our garages, shop in our stores, dine in our restaurants, and drive our highways — often unfamiliar with mountain roads and dependent on local emergency response. When crime happens — vehicle theft, organized retail theft, or more serious offenses — the impact doesn’t stop with a police report. It affects a worker’s sense of security, a business owner’s bottom line, and a visitor’s decision to return next year.

SB 70 would limit the ability of local governments and law enforcement to use license plate reader technology — a tool that has helped recover stolen vehicles, identify suspects, and move quickly when minutes matter. These systems don’t peer into private lives. They capture what’s already visible on public roads, and they operate under clear local policies and auditing requirements.

In Eagle County, we’ve shown we can use these tools responsibly. This isn’t about unchecked authority. It’s about giving our local professionals the flexibility to respond to real-world conditions in real time.

A rural mountain corridor with one major highway is not downtown Denver. Avon is not Aurora. Vail is not a dense urban grid. Our geography alone creates different challenges — long stretches of road, limited access points, weather variables, and seasonal population surges. A one-size-fits-all mandate from the Capitol may sound clean on paper, but it doesn’t reflect how communities like ours actually function.

From a business standpoint, this matters deeply.

Tourism runs on trust. Visitors trust that when they park their car in Lionshead or walk through Nottingham Park, they’re in a community that takes safety seriously. When theft rises or response tools are restricted, insurance rates climb. Small businesses absorb the cost. Employees shoulder the stress. And word travels fast.

We can absolutely value privacy — and we should. Colorado has always prided itself on independence and balance. But balance means recognizing that local control matters. Our sheriffs, police chiefs, and elected officials live here too. Their kids go to school here. They shop in the same stores and drive the same roads.

SB 70 shifts that balance away from local judgment and toward a statewide restriction that doesn’t account for regional realities.

If the goal is accountability, let’s talk about accountability. If the goal is oversight, let’s strengthen oversight. But removing effective tools from communities that have demonstrated responsible use is not the answer.

Eagle County, Vail, and Avon deserve policies shaped by how we actually live and work — not by assumptions about how every Colorado community operates.

Public safety, local control, and economic health are not competing priorities here. They rise and fall together.

We can do better than Senate Bill 70. And for the people who call this valley home — and the millions who visit — we should.