Mayor Carmella R. Mantello and Council President Sue Steele announced on May 19 a series of updated policy enhancements for the City of Troy’s use of Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras. The changes follow ongoing discussions with the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office, Corporation Counsel, Troy Police Department, administration staff, and members of the Troy City Council.
The new policies are intended to strengthen public safety while increasing privacy protections and transparency in how ALPR technology is used. Officials said these updates were developed after gathering public feedback and consulting law enforcement experts about best practices for data security and civil liberties.
Key elements of the updated policy include annual audits provided to both the mayor and city council, continued non-participation in Flock Safety’s National Lookup feature except in violent felony cases with specific authorization from the Chief of Police, explicit prohibitions against using ALPR data for immigrant-related enforcement or monitoring First Amendment activities, and limiting sharing of data to intra-state agencies only on a strict case-by-case basis.
“Public safety and privacy protections must go hand in hand,” said Mayor Mantello. “We have listened carefully to residents who raised concerns regarding privacy and data security, and those concerns are valid and deserving of serious consideration. Today’s meeting brought together city leadership, law enforcement, legal counsel, and members of the City Council for a productive conversation on strengthening oversight and accountability surrounding this technology. These updated policy implementations reinforce clear safeguards while allowing law enforcement to effectively investigate violent crime, locate missing persons, and protect our neighborhoods. While there is still a lot of work left to do, we look forward to continuing these discussions over the next 60 days as we evaluate additional policy enhancements together.”
Council President Steele said: “The City Council will continue to work on legislation to provide the police with this ALPR tool to solve crimes while also protecting the Fourth Amendment rights of all citizens.” She added that “the 60-day extension allows us to capture data on the use of Flock cameras in Troy. The policy is a first step, and we will continue discussions to craft a local law. I’m proud of the Council for bringing this important matter to the forefront to balance law enforcement tools and citizens’ privacy concerns.”
District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly said: “Public safety and civil liberties are not mutually exclusive, and today’s discussions reflected a shared commitment to ensuring both remain protected… The safeguards and policy enhancements contemplated will allow law enforcement to continue to utilize this critical technology in the investigation of violent crimes… I look forward to a collaborative and thoughtful process as these discussions continue over the coming weeks.”
Chief Dan DeWolf commented that “these updated policies provide clear guardrails and reinforce our commitment to using ALPR technology in a lawful, focused, and responsible manner… These cameras are intended to assist in solving serious crimes, locating stolen vehicles, and supporting investigations that protect the public.” According to officials involved in developing these changes during recent meetings between city leaders from multiple departments as well as councilmembers Jona Favreau and Noreen McKee; annual audits; restrictions on national lookup features; explicit prohibitions against certain uses; limits on sharing information beyond state agencies—are all now implemented immediately.
The broader impact includes increased transparency around surveillance technologies used by local government while maintaining access for police investigating major crimes or locating missing persons.
