In a 5-1 vote, the Common Council approved a resolution Wednesday to revoke prior permission for all Flock Safety cameras in the city.
After nearly 10 people provided comments supporting the resolution, Rowland O’Malley, 3rd Ward alderman and council president, cast the lone vote against the removal.
“I think the community finally feels heard,” said Kathryn Fogle, 4th Ward alderman, who sponsored the resolution.
After the vote, Fogle said she is no longer supportive of replacing Flock license plate-reading cameras with another brand of public surveillance camera.
Fogle said Monday that she proposed the resolution because of concerns about the security of Flock’s data system. Fogle said the city uses Axon cameras in police cars to read license plates, which is an alternative tool.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, Fogle said, “I feel differently about Axon cameras now.” She said she does not want to see Flock cameras replaced, “not even by Axon now.”
O’Malley had spoken in favor of the city’s Flock cameras earlier this week.
“I think it’s part of public safety,” O’Malley said. “They are similar to the cameras in the police cars as well. What’s on the corner are readers, so I don’t see that (the resolution) makes much difference. These readers have been around for 20 years, not necessarily on poles, but in police units and sheriff’s cars.”
City resident Andrew Nemi, who identified himself as a Niagara County Sheriff’s Office investigator, spoke in favor of retaining the cameras.
“For a city facing financial pressure, we should be seeking shared services like this,” Nemi said of the countywide Flock system that is funded by a grant to the sheriff’s office from the federal Department of Homeland Security.
Sheriff Michael Filicetti did not respond to a request on Monday for the total number of Flock cameras now operating in the county. Last year Filicetti said his goal was to have 67 cameras operating, and made presentations to municipalities requesting their approval to install them on rights-of-way.
The Town of Hartland unanimously passed a resolution in September to remove the two cameras along Ridge Road within town limits.
City Police Chief Steven Abbott said this week that the eight Flock cameras in the city do not take videos of cars or passengers.
“Plate readers are a still image,” Abbott said.
Individuals who addressed the council, including several from Erie County, said they believed there is no limit to what Flock cameras can do, or the consequences of the data they collect.
Former mayor Michelle Roman said, “My concern is that deletion from local devices does not mean the (Flock) company deletes it from their devices. They sell to third parties and violate our constitutional rights.”
Roman said the cameras installed during her administration did not have the operating capabilities they have today.
Resident Steven Cursio said Flock has a relationship with Palantir Technologies, a software company that provides analytics platforms to government.
“Palantir is able to access any data, including utility bills,” Cursio said. “Flock provides the eyes. Palantir provides the brains. Remember that these are private companies with no transparency.”