The City of Niagara Falls may soon see the installation of 24 license plate reading cameras at various locations determined by the police department. The proposal was presented to the city council by Mayor Robert Restaino’s administration, which seeks approval for a contract worth $300,100 funded by a grant.
The proposed agreement involves SHI International Corp., a New Jersey-based company that specializes in surveillance technology, in collaboration with Flock Safety, a firm known for its automated license plate recognition systems. The city would allocate $12,100 for the installation of the solar-powered cameras which would be set up at strategic points identified by the Niagara Falls Police Department. Flock Safety or its subcontractors would handle the installation and the cameras would be supported by a cloud-based software system at an annual cost of $72,000 over four years. Funding for this project is sourced from a New York State Law Enforcement Technology Grant awarded to the police department.
Flock Safety's technology has been utilized by various law enforcement agencies to assist in recovering stolen vehicles, tracking suspects involved in criminal activities, and enhancing efforts during Amber and Silver alerts for missing children and vulnerable adults.
Implementation of such technology has often raised concerns among civil liberties advocates who argue that it poses risks related to privacy and regulation. That is expected to be no different here.
In 2023, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office entered into a similar partnership with Flock Safety, planning to install 67 license plate readers at key locations throughout the county. These cameras are designed to capture detailed information about vehicles including their make, model, color, and license plate numbers, providing law enforcement with timely alerts if a stolen or wanted vehicle is detected.
The sheriff’s office made clear that the cameras are not being used for traffic enforcement or to monitor individuals. All data collected is deleted every 30 days and not shared with third parties.
As of early 2023, Flock Safety's systems were operational in over 2,000 cities across 42 states. The city council is set to review this proposal during its upcoming meeting.
City Council to Discuss Implementation of License Plate Readers in Niagara Falls