NEWBURGH – The majority of the Newburgh City Council is leaning toward cancelling the contract with the Flock company that provides street cameras for police surveillance, but members disagree on how to terminate it.
Residents oppose the system because they believe the cameras are used by ICE to spy on them, especially during the ongoing federal agents’ tactics.
Councilman Omari Shakur wants to cancel the contract immediately but would cost the city over $400,000 in fees.
He has drafted proposed legislation that the other members say needs “guard rails” to protect the city.
At Monday night’s session, Shakur got in the face of Councilman Ronald Zorilla, and it took Mayor Torrance Harvey’s banging of his gavel to quiet Shakur’s outburst.
Harvey kept calling for order as Shakur was screaming, calling for an immediate vote.
In the end, the vote to cancel the Flock contract immediately was turned down. Lawmakers agreed that it should be terminated, but the timing was off.
Some council members also want to investigate if there is another company that can perform the same role, but with better assurances of confidentiality.
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