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The Syracuse Common Council has postponed a vote on whether to remove license plate readers operated by Flock Safety, a private surveillance company. This delay allows the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) time to find a new vendor for the equipment. The decision comes amid growing privacy concerns related to data sharing with national databases.
Councilors Jimmy Monto and Corey Williams led the initiative to revoke Flock's permission to operate the camera network on city poles. However, they unanimously approved revoking permission for Flock to install two new cameras for Syracuse University, which has not yet been installed. The council's decision reflects concerns that Flock's technology might infringe on civil rights by tracking individuals without consent.
Flock Safety has been under scrutiny as it was revealed that data from Syracuse's license plate readers was accessible to immigration officials through a national database. According to Syracuse.com, SPD has since opted out of this data-sharing agreement, but the concerns remain.
Councilor Monto expressed his desire for SPD to find a new vendor that offers better data protection. He stated, "Flock is not a public safety partner, it is a private, for-profit surveillance company." The council is looking to end its relationship with Flock quickly, as reported by Spectrum News.
Despite these concerns, SPD credits the technology with aiding in several criminal investigations. However, the council remains cautious about the potential misuse of data.