Binghamton City Council passes resolution urging mayor to end Flock Safety contracts

Event: August 6, 2026 · First reported: August 10, 2026 · 2 sources

At its August 6 meeting, the Binghamton, New York, city council passed a resolution asking Mayor Jared Kraham to terminate the city's contracts with Flock Safety, saying the privacy costs of automated license plate readers outweigh their benefits, according to WBNG. The resolution acknowledged that ALPRs can serve legitimate law enforcement purposes but said the technology creates an unsettling level of public monitoring and should carry stronger transparency and accountability requirements. The resolution is advisory; the mayor's office will decide whether the contracts continue.

Why this matters

The vote illustrates a growing pattern of local legislative bodies weighing in on surveillance contracts they do not directly control, leaving the final decision with the executive branch. It also raises the question of what guardrails, if any, cities attach to ALPR systems they choose to keep.

Key facts

The resolution passed at the Binghamton City Council's August 6 meeting and asks the mayor to terminate the city's Flock Safety agreements.
Council Majority Leader Rebecca Rathmell said more than 80 municipalities across 28 states have ended Flock ALPR contracts in the past five years, citing concerns including warrantless surveillance, unauthorized access by ICE, and discrimination.
Local reporting noted a Binghamton case in which the cameras captured a stolen vehicle, leading to one arrest, and also helped officers locate two missing teenagers.
Council President Michael Dundon said the current contract terms do not serve residents' interests and that public safety and constitutional rights are not mutually exclusive.
The resolution is a request, not a binding termination; the mayor's office retains the decision on the contract.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

New York council urges mayor to dump Flock cameras over privacy concerns (Yahoo, August 10, 2026)
New York council urges mayor to dump Flock cameras over privacy concerns (The Cool Down, August 10, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated August 17, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.