Protesters packed Ithaca City Hall this month, urging leaders to scrap Flock license plate readers over privacy and ICE fears, according to the Ithaca Times. Activists argue the cameras track residents’ movements, store data for 30 days and share information with dozens of agencies.
Local police and the Tompkins County Sheriff defend the technology as a crime-fighting tool. They say Flock doesn’t use facial recognition and that departments recently limited data sharing to local agencies. Both agencies publish transparency portals showing searches and vehicle detections.
Officials say the cameras have generated investigative leads in cases such as locating missing people and identifying stolen vehicles and burglary suspects. Advocates want the city to end its contract, while law enforcement plans to expand installations across major county access points.
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