Three Ulster County lawmakers, all Democrats, aim to introduce a resolution that would establish a policy governing the use, sharing, disclosure, retention and access to automated license plate reader data collected by Flock Safety systems.
The sponsors are Ulster County Legislators Dana Clinton, Abe Uchitelle, and Amy Dooley, whose districts span Kingston, Gardiner, Shawangunk, Esopus and Lloyd. Uchitelle said he may broaden the legislation to address surveillance systems similar to Flock.
The move comes amid a nationwide debate about the use of such cameras. Dutchess County last month began moving to shut down its 65 Flock cameras after a public outcry from residents worried about the collection and use of private information. Supporters, including some law enforcement departments, say they help solve crimes by identifying vehicles used in conjunction with unlawful acts.
“What the conversation about Flock has really done is it’s really woken people up to just how much of a surveillance state we’re in,” said Uchitelle, who noted that the county doesn’t have a contract with Flock. “It’s critical for Ulster County to really understand what it is that we’re doing.”
Flock Off Saugerties has collected 115 signatures since June on a petition that urges the Town Board to pass an indefinite moratorium on contracts with the Atlanta-based company. The group says cameras have already been installed in Catskill, Ulster and Kingston.
Others aren’t sure whether the cameras pose a risk. New York State has used license plate readers for about 20 years, and when people are found to abuse the system, they’ve been disciplined or fired, according to Ulster County Legislator Richard Walls, a Republican who represents Shawangunk and who has worked in law enforcement for more than four decades.
“The overall benefit of license plate readers and this technology has been beneficial for law enforcement and I think we have to just be careful with that,” said Walls.
In the meantime, Uchitelle said he’s still tinkering with the proposal.
“I have concerns about what the county is currently doing in terms of collecting data and this legislation,” said Uchitelle. “To my knowledge, we don’t have a contract with Flock so I don’t know what this resolution actually does.”
Mia Quick is an editorial assistant and reporter at The Overlook. Send correspondence to mia@theoverlooknews.com.
