Friends, neighbors, and fellow Trojans,
Last Thursday, several council committees met to discuss a number of issues and major projects, including the slow pace of lead pipe replacement, the replacement of Tomhannock water transmission lines, reconstruction of the former Park Pub, the moratorium on battery storage facilities, and other infrastructure priorities.
These meetings are an opportunity for council members to directly engage with administration officials and give the public more insight into what’s happening at City Hall.
Flock License Plate Readers
The big topic on Thursday was the proposed renewal of the contract with Flock for automated license plate readers (ALPRs). For months, the council and residents have attempted to get more information from the mayor, including copies of the current and new contracts. Unfortunately, this information was not provided to the council until the end of day last Friday.
We appreciated Chief DeWolf and Assistant Chief Barker for attending and participating in a respectful dialogue with council members. However, the mayor and administration, along with the Flock representative, were simply unable to answer our questions. In response, the council has paused the approval of the contract until more information can be provided.
While LPRs are important tools for law enforcement, there are simply too many unanswered questions about the proposed agreement, including data security and retention, access, ownership, and concerns over personal privacy.
These concerns about Flock have been documented in countless news stories from across the country over the past year. Dozens of other communities have expressed similar concerns. In fact, Poestenkill here in Rensselaer County recently rejected Flock cameras in their community over privacy concerns.
For more context, please see the following reports:
- Times Union: Poestenkill rejects license plate readers
- WAMC: Saranac Lake rejects Flock cameras
- NPR: Immigration surveillance concerns leading to contract cancellations
- Ithaca Voice: Council considers ending Flock safety contract
- 404 Media: Coverage on Flock
The council supports the important work of the Troy Police Department to investigate crime in our community, but as technology continues to rapidly evolve, we must ensure protections and oversight are in place.
We will continue to press the administration and Flock for more answers to our questions. We also want to thank the more than 100 residents who attended the meeting to share their thoughts. We are listening, and we heard your voices.
Watch the full meeting (discussion begins 2:02:21, public comment at 3:52:08)