In a decisive move against automated surveillance technology, the New Lebanon Town Board has unanimously approved a measure prohibiting the placement of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras on all municipal property. The vote establishes firm local boundaries as Columbia County continues to confront a widening dispute over the unannounced procurement of surveillance equipment by local law enforcement.
Under the provisions of the newly passed measure, outside law enforcement and governmental agencies are expressly barred from using New Lebanon’s public infrastructure to host automated camera hardware unless they first obtain formal authorization from the Town Board. Furthermore, any proposed deployment on municipal property must undergo a mandatory public hearing before local leaders can consider granting approval.
The policy also forbids the utilization of town resources to support or expand the reach of Flock Safety’s surveillance network and vehicle database. Local officials crafted the legislation to ensure that municipal property is not converted into a monitoring platform without rigorous oversight and direct input from the community.
The text of the resolution highlights deep concerns regarding constitutional guarantees and individual privacy rights. Board members underscored that the town maintains a firm dedication to safeguarding the civil liberties and privacy of residents, business owners, and visiting travelers against continuous and indiscriminate monitoring systems.
Specifically, the resolution argues that the widespread implementation of Flock surveillance cameras functions as an apparatus of pervasive mass surveillance that operates without requiring individualized reasonable suspicion or established probable cause. Officials noted that the system indiscriminately captures records on law-abiding citizens as they navigate ordinary activities, such as traveling to healthcare appointments, religious services, legal consultations, and civic or political gatherings.
While taking a strict stance against automated tracking devices, the municipal measure draws a clear distinction between mass surveillance tools and routine public works instruments. The resolution explicitly clarifies that the town does not oppose the deployment of conventional vehicle-counting cameras, which are utilized strictly for traffic management and planning rather than recording individual identities or license plates.
New Lebanon Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling, who also serves as the Democratic minority leader on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, signaled that the town's legislative action is only the beginning of a broader campaign. Houghtling announced that she intends to circulate the resolution to municipal leaders across Columbia County, encouraging neighboring towns to enact similar protective statutes.
The town board's action comes in the wake of recent revelations that the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office acquired 10 Flock Safety cameras without notifying or securing authorization from the county Board of Supervisors. The disclosure has prompted widespread debate regarding executive transparency and the balance between law enforcement tools and civil liberties.
Records indicate that former Sheriff Don Krapf completed the camera purchase in 2024 by using funds allocated through a state-level law enforcement grant. That procurement occurred roughly a year after a county Board of Supervisors committee had actively shelved a proposal to acquire Flock cameras using financial contributions offered by an anonymous group of donors.
Current Columbia County Sheriff Jackie Salvatore, who served as undersheriff when the purchase was executed, has publicly defended the transaction. Salvatore maintained that county lawmakers originally shelved the proposal solely because they were uncomfortable with accepting anonymous funding, rather than objecting to the surveillance technology itself. However, that characterization has been contested by at least one former supervisor who participated in the earlier deliberations.
The controversial acquisition is currently under administrative scrutiny by Columbia County Attorney Robert Fitzsimmons, who is conducting an investigation to determine whether the sheriff's office violated established county bylaws by bypassing legislative oversight. Salvatore has maintained that the agency acted lawfully, asserting that she entered into a memorandum of understanding with Flock Safety rather than a standard commercial contract that would have triggered mandatory approval from the Board of Supervisors.
Flock Safety systems function by automatically photographing vehicle license plates and analyzing vehicular movements, storing the accumulated records inside artificial intelligence-driven searchable databases that allow users to track travel patterns across jurisdictions.
According to data compiled by the crowd-sourced tracking initiative DeFlock Maps, at least one Flock camera is already operational within New Lebanon. However, that particular unit is situated on private property and will not be affected by the town's newly enacted municipal ban. Sheriff Salvatore has stated that every Flock camera deployed by the sheriff's office throughout the county has been placed on private land.
The controversy has ignited substantial public resistance throughout the region, culminating in a recent coalition rally organized by community activist groups alongside current and former public officials. Demonstrators gathered to initiate a broader public campaign demanding a total countywide prohibition on Flock cameras and all automated license plate reading systems.
Debates surrounding Flock Safety hardware are increasingly emerging across the Hudson Valley and surrounding regions. Earlier in the summer, the City Council in nearby Newburgh extensively weighed a proposal to terminate its own memorandum of understanding with the surveillance vendor, though that repeal effort was ultimately voted down last month.
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