Lewis County, New York
They track every driver. Not just criminals.
License plate readers log where you go, when, and how often.
The first camera is already up. Don't let more follow.
What Is a Flock Camera?
A Flock license plate reader is already up in Lewis County — logging the plate, make, model, and color of every car that passes. Not suspects. Everyone.
Every pass is timestamped and stored in a searchable database. Over time, that database becomes a record of where you go, when you go, and how often — your commute, your doctor's visits, your place of worship, your friends' driveways.
No Warrant
Officers can search the data without a warrant and without going before a judge.
No Notice
You'll never be told your vehicle's movements were looked up — or why.
No Law
New York has zero laws regulating this technology. No rules on access, retention, or sharing.
No Suspicion Needed
Your data is collected whether or not you've ever been suspected of anything.
This isn't left vs. right. It's about whether our county government should run a searchable database of everywhere we drive — without a warrant and without asking us.
Want to dig deeper? deflock.org is the national resource on Flock cameras — including a map of where they're installed.
"Aren't There Cameras Everywhere Already?"
Fair question. But a Flock camera is not like a store security camera or a traffic camera. The difference isn't the camera — it's the database behind it.
A Normal Camera
- Watches one spot — a parking lot, an intersection
- Footage gets erased — usually within days or weeks
- Nobody's searching it — someone only looks after a specific incident
- Doesn't know who you are — you're just a face in a crowd
A Flock Camera
- Reads and identifies your car — plate, make, model, color, even bumper stickers
- Builds a permanent record — every pass is logged into a searchable database
- Searchable anytime — any officer can look up your car's history, no warrant, no judge
- Networked nationwide — Lewis County data can be searched by thousands of agencies across the country
Put simply: a normal camera takes a picture. A Flock camera takes attendance. It doesn't just see your car — it recognizes it, logs it, and remembers it. String enough of those logs together and you have a map of your life: where you sleep, where you work, where you pray, who you visit.
And because there's no warrant requirement, no judge ever asks why someone is pulling up your driving history. That's the part no other camera does — and the part New York law says nothing about.
This Isn't Hypothetical. It's Already Happened.
There are many documented cases where police have knowingly used license plate readers to commit crimes and put people in danger. These examples show how hard it is to put meaningful restrictions in place — it's often only after harm is done that an officer is caught and punished, if at all.
- Texas police used Flock ALPRs to track a woman who had an abortion across state lines 404 Media
- A police officer used Flock Safety ALPRs to stalk his estranged wife in Kechi, KS KWCH
- A police officer accepted a bribe to run a woman's license plate in Georgia Associated Press
- A police officer used ALPRs to stalk his ex-girlfriend in Ohio Associated Press
- California agencies kept plate data longer than necessary and shared it with unauthorized agencies California State Auditor
- Police in San Diego County broke the law by sharing drivers' data inewsource
These weren't stopped by policies or safeguards. The data existed, so it was abused. The only database that can't be misused is one that's never collected.
Rally Outside the Board of Legislators Meeting
We're gathering outside the Board of Legislators meeting to show them Lewis County residents are paying attention.
- 📅Tuesday, August 4 · 4:30 PM
- 📍Lewis County Court House
7660 N State St, Lowville - 🪧Bring a sign — or just bring yourself. Numbers matter.
- 💧Free water & snacks provided
Comfortable speaking? Stay for the meeting and use public comment — legislators need to hear from actual constituents, even for 60 seconds. Can't speak? Standing outside with a sign counts. So does just showing up.
Four Ways to Make a Difference
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Sign the petition — right now, from your phone
It takes 30 seconds and adds your name to the count legislators will see. Sign "Blackout and Remove Flock Cameras in Lewis County, NY" on Change.org →
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Show up on August 4
Just being there matters. Legislators count heads. A crowd outside the courthouse says more than any email.
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Bring a sign
Keep it simple: "No Warrantless Tracking," "Deflock Lewis County," "They Track Every Driver." Don't have one? Come anyway.
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Speak at public comment
Stay for the meeting and speak — even 60 seconds counts. Say you're a resident, say you're concerned, and ask the Board not to expand the program.
Speaking Up Works
Nearby Tompkins County just voted 12–1 to end their Flock contract after residents spoke up. Ordinary people showed up, spoke at meetings, and their legislature listened. It works — and it can work here.