The deployment of AI-powered surveillance cameras by Flock Safety has sparked a wave of community resistance across New York and the nation, pitting local law enforcement’s search for efficient crime-fighting tools against residents’ fears of mass surveillance and federal immigration crackdowns. What began as a quiet rollout of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) in 2023 has evolved into a high-stakes political debate in municipalities like Ithaca, Saranac Lake, and the Cornell University campus.
In the Ithaca area, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office currently operates 51 cameras, while the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) manages 22. While these systems allow officers to search for specific vehicle descriptions—such as a “blue sedan with roof rack”—to solve crimes and locate missing persons, activists argue the technology captures far more than just license plates. The core of the opposition lies in the potential for this data to be utilized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which critics say directly undermines local sanctuary city policies.
While Flock Safety maintains that it does not provide a “back door” for federal agencies, documented “workarounds” suggest local police can perform database searches on behalf of federal agents. “There’s not a lot of trust in what Flock tells us,” stated Tompkins County Legislator Deborah Dawson, expressing concern that data shared with neighboring counties could still find its way to federal authorities. Conversely, law enforcement officials like IPD Chief Thomas Kelly emphasize that strict controls are in place to prevent the misuse of data for immigration enforcement.
The controversy has also reached Cornell University, where seven cameras have been operational at major campus entry points since October 2024. Students have raised alarms that the system poses a threat to individuals on visas and those participating in civil disobedience. Despite university assurances that the Cornell University Police Department owns the data and deletes it after 30 days, student leaders are calling for reforms that would allow the student body to decide how information is shared.
While Ithaca officials have been hesitant to remove the cameras, the village of Saranac Lake recently halted its Flock project just one week after its announcement. Following intense public pushback online, Mayor Jimmy Williams ordered the removal of installed cameras until a public meeting can be held on March 9. Village Trustee Kelly Brunette noted that such a “village-wide surveillance system” had never been formally discussed with the community.
These local disputes reflect a broader “nationwide revolt” against Flock’s growing network of an estimated 90,000 cameras. Organized groups like “DeFlock” and “Flock Off Ithaca” are now mounting campaigns through petitions, protests, and crowdsourced mapping to challenge the technology. As the debate continues, local leaders remain divided: some, like Tompkins County Legislature Chair Dan Klein, support the cameras as a valuable safety tool pending evidence of local misuse, while others see them as a fundamental threat to due process and civil liberties.
