Amherst May Add More License Plate Cameras In Western New York

It seems that some people around Western New York are looking to expand the big brother surveillance state, as another town may be on the verge of expanding its camera network in the Buffalo area.

According to a post on Reddit, the Town of Amherst Town Council has an agenda item to purchase several more Automated License Plate Reader Cameras to be deployed in the town, but the item was cancelled at the last minute. It seems that as people found out that the Amherst Police Department was seeking to spend more than $300,000 in taxpayer money to monitor the travels of its citizens, several voices spoke out about it.

KEEP READING: Another WNY Town Is Using Cameras To Keep Track Of Your Car

According to the Amherst Town Council Resolution set to be debated on Monday, December 15, 2025, Amherst Chief of Police Scott Chamberlin proposed that the town acquire 24 Axon Outpost License Plate Reader Cameras to be installed at various locations throughout the Town of Amherst.

These sorts of license plate cameras have been in the news a lot lately as some towns and governments around the United States have been rethinking their desire to monitor their residents as they go about their daily lives.

With hundreds of these cameras already spread around Western New York, more citizens are asking questions of their local governments about how they are being monitored, what data is being collected, and who has access to the data.

While proponents of this mass surveillance say it's for public safety, those against it, like the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), say these devices pose a huge risk to the liberty of innocent New Yorkers.

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