GOSHEN – Because of all of the negative publicity about Flock brand license plate readers and surveillance cameras in municipalities around the country, many are pulling the plug on them, and that includes some in the Hudson Valley.
But now Orange County Legislator Stephen Hunter has proposed a bill to regulate installation, operation, and maintenance, LPRs and surveillance cameras on county-owned property and rights-of-way.
His plan, which has the full support of the Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee, will not impede police in their mission.
“This bill is not meant to strip away tools from the men and women who are keeping Orange County safe,” he said. “I understand the immense value that modern technology brings to solving serious crimes, recovering stolen property, and recovering vulnerable missing persons.”
Hunter reminded his colleagues that earlier this year, they approved a measure to install security cameras at the entrances and exits on Interstate 84. He noted before those were installed, the county set guard rails to protect the data. And he said the county does not use any private surveillance systems like Flock.
Hunter’s plan prohibits any outside vendors from installing such devices with the capability of sharing the data. It specifically permits law enforcement and law enforcement entities to operate self-contained systems where information is stored on secure government services.
The bill also requires agencies using the system must log the officer’s ID number and an active investigation number. It would an independent quarterly audit and an annual compliance summary by the county.
Any local municipality that has their own cameras on county property would have to remove them when this legislation is adopted in the months ahead.
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