Ithaca, NY Common Council Ends Flock Safety License Plate Reader Contract Citing Sanctuary City Policy

Policy ID

ITH-LA-2026-3-4

Local Response

Ithaca

Legislative Action

Data Privacy, Surveillance

Short Description

The Ithaca Common Council voted unanimously to end the city’s contract with Flock Safety and stop the Ithaca Police Department’s use of its automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, citing the city’s sanctuary-city policy and concerns that camera data could reach agencies that cooperate with ICE. Ahead of the vote, IPD had already limited access to its Flock data to Tompkins County and New York State agencies.

Date Adopted

03/04/2026

Updates

The Tompkins County Legislature voted 12-1 to end the county’s contract with Flock Safety and remove its network of ALPR cameras and gunshot-detection devices used by the Sheriff’s Office, following community concerns about mass surveillance, data privacy, and potential access by federal immigration authorities. The vote, in the sanctuary jurisdiction, came about a month after the city of Ithaca cancelled its own Flock contract.