ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – The Flock Security system will remain in Tompkins County for another year.

On October 7, lawmakers considered accepting a grant at the Legislature meeting that would fund, among other things, the continued use of Flock license plate readers and gunshot detection devices.

The grant is tied to programs within the District Attorney’s Office, Probation, and other law enforcement entities through the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (G.I.V.E.) Initiative. The G.I.V.E. program aims to decrease community gun violence by focusing resources on repeat violent offenders and community hotspots for criminal activity involving firearms.

The Flock Security system, which has been in operation in the county since late 2023, has recently come under scrutiny after large-scale changes made by the federal government. Although access to collected local data is limited to a small group of people and is owned by the county, residents have expressed concern amid national stories of misconduct, data seizure by immigration officials, and abortion ban enforcement.

That concern was evident Tuesday night during the meeting’s public comment period, which was dominated by people weighing in on Flock, and lasted over an hour. A Flock representative attended the meeting, gave a presentation, and answered questions. Legislator Shawna Black explained why she couldn’t support the contract.

For Legislator Travis Brooks, even with concerns about the data privacy and weaponization, the tangible success of the G.I.V.E. Program was too important to sacrifice.

Legislator Mike Lane said he had no problem approving the Flock System three years ago, but times have changed.

Legislator Greg Mezey said the county’s participation in the G.I.V.E. program entitles them to funding for a work initiative for at-risk youth, of which the county has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from.

Mezey also pointed out that the public can be surveilled by smart phones, smart TVs, and car GPS/key fob systems. Others expressed a desire to examine the grant process moving forward to see if there was any way to separate the Flock provision.

Legislator Rich John reiterated what he’s said in past meetings: that Flock cameras would continue to exist in the community due to contracts with law enforcement agencies in Ithaca, Cornell, Trumansburg, Lansing, and Ithaca College. John again pushed for a Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U.) between local agencies to ensure that data was collected and used in the same manner with respect to privacy and other concerns.

Lawmakers spoke at length with the Flock rep and each other, deliberating for nearly two hours before voting. The entire public meeting lasted over five hours, not counting an executive session.

In the end, the motion carried 9-4, with Legislators Amanda Champion, Mike Lane, Veronica Pillar, and Shawna Black in opposition.