Another Western New York Community Dumping Flock Camera

The rise and prevalence of automated license plate cameras has been in the news a lot lately. As police departments all over America take steps towards turning the United States into a surveillance state, people all over the nation have been pushing back against the number of government-operated cameras that sit in our communities.

In Western New York, there are hundreds of these so-called 'FLOCK-style' cameras that track vehicle movements around the region using AI and advanced computer modeling to maintain a searchable database of cars and their locations. While government officials from Cheektowaga to Niagara County claim these cameras and their data are only used to investigate crime and not for any other purposes, do we trust them to keep their word? Especially since many police agencies have a tendency to look out for their own interests and often put that interest above the general needs of the people.

Given that, when the Town of Tonawanda recently announced that they were getting rid of their Flock Safety Cameras, people all around the region breathed a collective sigh of relief. That is until they heard the rest of what Town Supervisor John Flynn had to say.

Tonawanda Getting Rid Of Flock Cameras, Switching To Another Company

Instead of standing up for civil liberties and people's rights, Town of Tonawanda officials announced they are dumping Flock Safety and are switching their Automated Camera License Plate Network to Axon cameras.

According to WIVB-TV, Tonawanda Supervisor Flynn noted that the new contract with Axon will come at a better cost to Tonawanda taxpayers while still giving the town the same functionality that Flock provided. Many people hoped that the Town of Tonawanda would follow the lead of North Tonawanda by getting rid of their cameras, but that does not seem to be the case.

While officials claim these devices combat crime, the policies governing their use are secretive or nonexistent, and many agencies are reluctant to release data about their cameras, including most refusing to share the footage.

READ MORE: Scammers Now Trying To Get Access To Your MyChart

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services says License Plate Readers and FLOCK-style cameras are legal as long as they're used for legitimate law enforcement purposes. Still, the American Civil Liberties Union has made thier concerns known about how these devices can invade our privacy. The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) expands on these concerns, noting that police departments can track innocent people everywhere they go.

Get our free mobile app