KINGSTON – When the Ulster County Legislature’s Law Enforcement & Public Safety Committee meets in November, it will consider a measure that would limit the data collected by the county’s advanced license plate readers (ALPRs) and prohibit the county’s use of Flock brand surveillance technology.
“While ALPRs have legitimate public safety uses, their widespread deployment raises privacy concerns, particularly when certain vendors have been shown to share data collected with outside agencies without the consent of the collecting jurisdiction,” said committee Chairwoman Debra Clinton. “By instituting this reporting policy and banning the worst actors, we can keep our communities safe while ensuring their privacy and presumption of innocence are respected.”
Majority Leader Abe Uchitelle, a sponsor of the resolution, said it “provides a full review of all surveillance tools being used, while immediately banning the worst platform out there. This is an important first step as we work to make sure civil liberties are preserved.”
Under the proposed policy, the county would retain ownership of all ALPR-collected data and prohibit its sale or secondary use.
The measure also calls for an annual audit of the collected data, with a public report detailing the number and locations of cameras, the number of external requests for data received and whether they were granted, and instances in which data was retained beyond 48 hours.
“As law enforcement technology advances, we as policymakers must balance the need for privacy and the presumption of innocence with public safety,” said Legislator Amy Dooley. “This policy is a critical step in ensuring our neighbors and visitors are protected from corporate data collection and unwarranted intrusions from federal law enforcement.”
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