Local Law #3, Establishing Standards Governing the City's Use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Systems, aims to give Troy Police a powerful and effective crime fighting tool while establishing clear safeguards to protect Fourth Amendment rights to privacy. This comes at a crucial time in our country, when fears about government intrusion into our daily lives are heightened. If we do not guard against complacency and act to prevent the erosion of our constitutional rights, democracy will slowly slip away.
Discussion at the Public Safety Committee Meeting
The Troy City Council's Public Safety Committee met Thursday, May 21 to discuss the draft legislation with Troy Police Department Chief Dan DeWolf, Deputy Chief Steve Barker, District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly, and Daniel Schwarz of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU).
In the committee meeting, DA Donnelly and Chief DeWolf raised concerns about two provisions: the 48 hour data retention requirement and restrictions on sharing data with outside agencies. Both argued these limits could hinder criminal investigations and prosecutions. DA Donnelly specifically warned that the 48-hour deletion rule could destroy trial evidence, though Local Law #3 already contains an explicit exception allowing data retention where required by state evidence preservation laws.
The Council had previously requested, but never received, data from Troy Police Department to understand how often crimes are reported more than 48 hours after they occur. After discussion with Troy Police, the Council has agreed to pause legislation for 60 days to allow the Troy Police Department time to provide the data. The Council remains committed to passing the law based on evidence.
Audit logs show that law enforcement agencies in Arkansas, Texas, Kentucky, and other states have accessed Troy's data through Flock's National Lookup Service. Troy PD recently disabled that service, though Chief DeWolf left open the possibility of exceptions for "extenuating circumstances", thus opening the door to national surveillance accessible by over 6,000 agencies. The Department currently maintains 125 data-sharing agreements with New York State law enforcement agencies primarily in the Capital Region. The Council has yet to see any audit logs from Troy Police Department in regards to previous data access by nationwide agencies.
NYCLU's Daniel Schwarz spoke last arguing that the Mayor's new ALPR departmental policy introduced two days prior "fell critically short on every point that Local Law #3 addresses" and emphasized the need for "commonsense guardrails to protect privacy and mitigate abuse by limiting when ALPRs can be used, reducing data retention periods, and prohibiting sharing ALPR data without explicit judicial oversight".
The full Public Safety Committee meeting is available here. The Public Safety Committee begins at 28:30 on the recording.
Why 48 hours?
Troy PD operates 26 Flock ALPR cameras that continuously scan and record every passing vehicle, 24 hours a day. Unlike red light and toll booth cameras, ALPR systems do not capture isolated moments. They record movement patterns. Networked across more than 90,000 cameras nationwide, Flock's system can use AI analysis to predict future movements. Aggregated over days, weeks, and months, that data reveals where people work, worship, seek medical care, and who they associate with. The Supreme Court recognized precisely this danger in Carpenter v. United States (2018), holding that aggregating location data over time constitutes a search requiring a warrant.
A 48-hour retention period allows TPD to use cameras as a tool for data and evidence collection while ensuring that same data cannot be abused by outside agencies or private contractors. The longer the data is retained the greater the opportunity for AI analysis to make predictions about future movements.
Next Steps: Public Hearing
On Wednesday May 20th, Mayor Mantello released a new departmental ALPR policy. As Chair of the Public Safety Committee, I welcome the policy but will be clear— because it is non-binding, this policy is no substitute for legislation and the Council will continue to move forward with the law.
A public hearing on this proposed legislation has been scheduled at 5:30 pm on Thursday, June 4. Notice for this meeting, as well as links to participate remotely or stream live, can be found here.
The Council remains committed to passing a law that will limit retention and data sharing while maintaining access to crime-solving tools.
Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns. My email address is Noreen.mckee@troyny.gov.
Items to Note
Land Bank Launches Home Repair Grant Program
Recently, the Troy Community Land Bank was awarded $500K to fund a Home Repair Program, providing funds to assist homeowners wishing to make repairs of owner-occupied properties which will protect the structure and long-term condition of their home. TCLB will manage repair work and pay contractors directly.
Qualifying repairs may not be purely cosmetic, and may include:
- Roof repairs;
- Structural/foundation repairs;
- Heating and utility system upgrades;
- Code violations and safety repairs;
- Exterior repairs tied to safety and accessibility.
Applications are tied to owner-occupied properties with 1-4 units within the City of Troy, and applicant households must be at or below 120% of area median income (AMI.)
Applications for the first round of funding are due no later than June 5th.
For more information, please visit the TCLB Home Repair information page.
Collar City Pride Flag Raising on Monday, Jun 1
Collar City Pride will be kicking off Pride Month with their flag raising today. Come show your support for CCP and the important work they do throughout the year, and learn more about the Pride-related activities happening throughout the month of June in Troy.
This event will be held at the YWCA (21 First St) at 6:30 pm.
To learn more about Collar City Pride and the ways they serve the Troy Community, please visit their website.
"Far Beyond Emergency Shelter"
Joseph's House executive director Amy LaFountain unpacks some of the current challenges facing Troy's social service organizations, and ways to partner with residents and businesses to improve outcomes for the downtown community.
At a time of rising costs and increased scarcity, economic and social conditions have left many individuals and families struggling with basic necessities such as food and shelter, and put increasing strain on our community's social support networks.
Joseph's House (74 Ferry St), in addition to being a code-blue shelter, provides housing support and social service outreach services in Troy and surrounding communities.
Amy LaFountain, named one of New York's Nonprofit Trailblazers earlier this year, is a 17-year veteran of Joseph's House and Shelter, and recently became the organization's executive director. This month, Ms LaFountain was kind enough to sit down and talk about the work of Joseph's House, the challenges to non-profits, and ways the Troy community can work together to create better opportunities and a safer downtown.
NM: Let's start by walking through Joseph's House from the perspective of your clients. Who are they and what are some of the catalysts that might put them at your door? What services and organizations provide a pipeline to you?
AL: The individuals who come through our doors are members of our community who are often navigating multiple layers of hardship at once. Homelessness is rarely caused by one thing. We see people impacted by rising housing costs, untreated mental health concerns, substance use disorders, domestic violence, medical issues, family instability, job loss, and trauma. For many, it is a combination of circumstances that creates instability over time until there are simply no safe options left.
At Joseph's House & Shelter, we work with individuals and families experiencing many different forms of homelessness, including street homelessness, emergency shelter homelessness, and homelessness connected to emergency motel placements through county social services systems. We also work with individuals experiencing chronic homelessness who may be cycling between shelters, hospitals, treatment programs, incarceration, and living outdoors.
People are referred to Joseph's House through many different pathways. We work closely with local hospitals, mental health providers, law enforcement, outreach teams, schools, county agencies, churches, treatment providers, and other community organizations. We also serve as the Lead Agency for HUD's Coordinated Entry System in Rensselaer County, which helps connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness with housing and support services throughout the county.
Our Outreach Services program also operates five to seven days a week across Albany and Rensselaer Counties, meeting individuals where they are, whether that is on the street, in encampments, hospitals, or other unsafe situations. For many individuals experiencing street homelessness, trust is built over time. Sometimes outreach begins with repeated conversations, wellness checks, or simply showing up consistently before someone feels ready to engage in services or begin navigating housing options.
NM: Once someone is in the door, what are the ways Joseph's House provides support?
AL: Once someone enters Joseph's House, the first priority is safety, stabilization, and relationship building. Our approach focuses on helping individuals access shelter, housing, and supportive services as quickly as possible, while meeting people where they are and removing unnecessary barriers that may prevent them from moving toward stability.
Our services extend far beyond emergency shelter. We provide emergency shelter for both single adults and families, street outreach services, rapid rehousing programs, homelessness diversion, permanent supported housing, case management, housing navigation, transportation coordination, and connections to healthcare, mental health services, employment resources, and other community supports.
One thing that is important for people to understand is that homelessness does not end the moment someone obtains housing. Stability often requires ongoing support and advocacy. Through our supported housing programs, advocates continue working alongside tenants to help them maintain housing, strengthen independence, reconnect with healthcare providers, and build long-term stability over time.
Most importantly, we strive to create an environment where people feel respected and supported. Many of the individuals we serve have experienced significant trauma, stigma, and isolation. Human connection, consistency, and restoring a sense of dignity are often just as important as the services themselves.
NM: What are some of the systemic challenges that need to be addressed to get clients to a more permanent, stable setting? Social services are often the first to be cut in austerity programs. What measures can local governments take to tackle these problems?
AL: The biggest challenge we continue to face is the lack of affordable and supportive housing. We can help stabilize someone, connect them to services, and prepare them for housing, but if there are not enough safe and affordable units available, people remain stuck in crisis longer than they should.
Another challenge is that many of the systems people rely on are still very fragmented. Housing, healthcare, mental health treatment, transportation, employment services, and emergency response systems are all deeply connected, but individuals are often left trying to navigate them separately while already in crisis.
There are also very practical barriers that can prevent someone from moving forward even when they are ready. Transportation challenges, workforce shortages within behavioral health and human services, limited provider availability, long waitlists, and complicated administrative systems all impact access to care and housing. Timing matters. If someone is finally ready to accept help, delays can mean missed opportunities.
Local governments can play an important role by investing in long-term affordable housing strategies, supporting coordinated community planning, strengthening partnerships between agencies, and protecting preventative services before crisis' escalate. It is far less costly, both financially and socially, to continually respond to emergencies than it is to invest in stability and prevention.
I also believe communities benefit from having honest, solutions-focused conversations around housing development and regional planning. A Strategic Housing Action Plan that includes local government, service providers, businesses, developers, healthcare systems, and community members at the same table could help create a more coordinated and sustainable path forward. Homelessness is not something any one organization or municipality can solve alone. It requires long-term collaboration and shared responsibility.
NM: There has been much discussion about panhandling and nuisance abatement in downtown, from both residents and local businesses, who feel these issues create quality of life problems, and a sense that the pleas fall on deaf ears. How can we work together to address these issues?
AL: I think it is important to acknowledge that these concerns are real for residents and business owners, while also recognizing the humanity of the individuals experiencing homelessness. Those two things can exist at the same time.
The solution is not simply moving people from one block to another. Lasting change comes from creating stronger pathways to housing, treatment, outreach, and supportive services while maintaining open communication between businesses, residents, service providers, and local government.
One of the most productive approaches is relationship building. I truly believe that viewing adversaries as relationship opportunities creates better long-term outcomes for everyone involved. When organizations, businesses, outreach teams, law enforcement, and community members communicate consistently and collaboratively, it creates more opportunities to connect individuals to meaningful support rather than simply responding to visible crisis situations.
Many of the individuals who are panhandling are disconnected from services, experiencing untreated mental health concerns, or navigating significant instability. These are complex issues that cannot be solved through enforcement alone. Consistent outreach, coordinated services, and continued community engagement tend to create more sustainable progress than reactive approaches by themselves.
NM: As federal cuts trickle down to state and local governments, is there concern that our local support systems won't be able to handle the strain? How are organizations adapting to face funding gaps?
AL: There is definitely concern across the nonprofit and human servcies sectors. Many organizations are already operating with limited resources while responding to growing community needs. As funding becomes more uncertain, it places additional pressure on systems that are already stretched thin.
At Joseph's House & Shelter, we continue adapting through collaboration, grant development, strategic partnerships, community support, and creative problem solving. Over the past year, we have worked intentionally to strengthen relationships with local governments, hospitals, businesses, foundations, neighborhood groups, and nonprofit partners because collaboration is essential to sustainability.
At the same time, there is real concern throughout the human services field regarding workforce retention, aging infrastructure, and chronic underinvestment in supportive housing and social services. These challenges are not unique to one organization. They are systemic issues affecting communities nationwide.
What gives me hope is that our community genuinely cares. We see that through volunteers, local businesses, donors, partner agencies, and residents who want to be part of meaningful solutions. Ending homelessness requires connection through community. It requires all of us working together to create systems that are compassionate, sustainable, and responsive to the realities people are facing today.
For more information on Joseph's House, including links to volunteer or donate, please visit their webpage.
City Council Meeting Recaps
April 23rd Council Law and Finance Meetings
Law Committee
FOIL — The committee heard from Alex Horton, the City's Public Information Officer, and Richard Morrissey, Acting Corporation Counsel, on the current state and process of Freedom of Information Law requests. Numerous community members have noted that the City has responded to their requests for information slowly or with insufficient information.
Consequent to information provided during the meeting, District 6 Councilmember Greg Campbell-Cohen confirmed a current operational issue with the Committee on Open Government.
My colleagues on Council and I remain committed to a transparent and responsive City government.
CSEA — Representatives of CSEA approached Council over a continued dispute with the administration regarding ratification of their contract. Council questioned Deputy Mayor Seamus Donnelly and Acting Corporation Counsel Richard Morrissey regarding the current status.
Knickerbocker Park Association — The Knickerbacker Park Association came to Council over unpaid rent from the City of Troy, the latest dispute between the mayor and an outside organization, a confrontational approach unhelpful in resolving disputes.
Finance Committee
Ordinances 7 and 8 from District 6 Councilman Greg Campbell-Cohen, adjusting City Code and Public Utilities rules to eliminate sewer charges for properties which do not have access to a sanitary sewer, as well as updates to the DPU billing complaints process to allow 90 days to bring a dispute to the City, were introduced. These were subsequently passed at the May 7 Regular meeting.
Resolutions 42 and 43 authorizing funding for engineering activities at the Water Plant, and entering into a contract to investigate the City's sludge lagoons, respectively.
May 7 Finance and Regular Meetings
Finance Committee
Comptroller Michael McNeff presented Troy's 2025 Annual Financial Report (AFR), as well as quarterly reports for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026. My Council colleagues and I have very serious concerns regarding the mayor's sales tax revenue projections, because the County's latest sales tax report comes in below the administration's projections.
Regular Committee
Local Law 3 — Local Law 3 was introduced and a public hearing scheduled for June 4 (see above, A Word from Noreen.)
Various ordinances and resolutions were passed.
May 21 Public Safety, Sci/Tech, and Finance Committee Meetings
Public Safety — see above (A Word from Noreen.)
Sci/Tech
BESS — the administration gave an update on their progress updating Zoning, Code, and emergency response to safely allow the permitting of battery energy storage systems (BESS) within the city.
ADA Web content — ADA coordinator Alex Horton did not make himself available to update Council on the administration's progress to making the City's website accessible to users with disabilities.
Finance Committee
ORD 19 — District 6 Councilmember Greg Campbell-Cohen introduced legislation amending the City Code to prevent unnecessary towing of vehicles with a single parking violation, was introduced;
RES 58 — authorizing the issuance of $2M in serial bonds to finance the purchase of a fire rescue vehicle apparatus.
Both bills will be discussed and voted on at the June 4th Regular meeting.
Agendas and minutes of all City Council meetings can be found at the City Council Agenda Center.
Recordings of previous Council meetings can be accessed on the City Council Youtube page.
The next meetings of City Council will be held June 4th, beginning at 5:30 pm. Agendas and Zoom links for these meetings can be accessed here.