The Newburgh City Council has voted to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, marking a significant change for drivers in the area. This decision follows months of debate and will lead to the discontinuation of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) from the city's surveillance network. WAMC reported on this development WAMC reported.
For drivers, this means that the ALPR cameras previously used by the city will be removed, altering the landscape of surveillance on Newburgh's roads. This change affects how your vehicle's movements are tracked within the city limits.
What led to Newburgh ending its ALPR contract?
The decision to end the contract came after prolonged discussions by city lawmakers. A key factor was information revealed through audit logs on the city’s website.
These logs showed:
- Newburgh's Flock data was accessed thousands of times.
- Law enforcement agencies nationwide accessed this data.
- One notable instance included a 2025 search by Texas police for a "female" who "had an abortion."
Concerns about privacy and potential misuse of ALPR data have been raised nationwide. Reports have emerged, including in Albany County, of law enforcement personnel allegedly using these cameras to monitor friends and family.
What happens to the cameras now?
The resolution passed by the City Council on Monday night mandates a swift removal process. The city is set to discontinue the routine use of Flock cameras within 14 days of the resolution's adoption.
Beyond discontinuing use, the city also plans to take all necessary legal steps to formally dissolve any existing contracts with Flock Safety. For more information on how ALPRs work and their impact on drivers, you can visit our /learn section. Drivers in Newburgh can expect these cameras to be offline and removed in the near future.