Gouverneur considers Flock security cameras amid privacy concerns
Gouverneur considers Flock security cameras amid privacy concerns
https://www.wwnytv.com/2026/05/26/gouverneur-considers-flock-security-cameras-amid-privacy-concerns/
Publish Date: 2026-05-26 17:45:00
Source Domain: www.wwnytv.com
GOUVERNEUR, New York (WWNY) – The village of Gouverneur is considering installing Flock security cameras around the village, though the surveillance system has drawn mixed opinions in communities across the country.
Mayor Ronald McDougall and the village board attended a public presentation last Tuesday night.
“They’re really good cameras from what I understand,” McDougall said.
The mayor and board were impressed by the cameras’ capabilities, including an AI scanning feature that can pick up license plates and notable vehicle features. McDougall said the technology would be useful for Gouverneur police investigations.
“Well, we’re always looking to improve public safety in any way we can,” he said.
The village already has cameras, but the mayor said they have been disappointing.
Ten Flock cameras would cost the village $90,000 over two years, McDougall said.
Privacy concerns
Flock cameras have become controversial. Residents in communities with Flock surveillance have voiced privacy concerns, questioning the accuracy of the readings and the availability for people to access Flock cameras.
Flock Safety’s chief communications officer said any search through Flock is logged, and there is public accountability through that. A new audit assistance tool has been implemented in the last month to send an alert for suspicious searches to local leaders.
McDougall said the village wants public comment on any camera system it chooses, which is why Tuesday night’s Flock presentation was open to the public.
“Well, that’s why we’ve — that’s one of the reasons we had public information on it,” he said. “We wanted to make sure the community had seen that too at a public meeting, along with our department heads and other people that were there last Tuesday night.”
The village board said it will look at other camera systems before bringing anything to a vote.
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