City officials unanimously approved a revocation of Flock Safety’s access to Syracuse streets, effectively ending that company’s tenure as the city’s license plate reader vendor. The decision came after months of Central Current’s reporting on the Syracuse Police Department’s exposure of city driver’s sensitive data, which occurred through Flock Safety’s national network of thousands of law enforcement partner agencies. Through an inadvertent opt-in, SPD for nearly a year allowed outside entities to access the data it was collecting and storing on Syracuse drivers, defying explicit instructions from former Mayor Ben Walsh’s hand-picked policy experts. That data wound up in the hands of federal immigration agents, some of whom requested local law enforcement agents to search Syracuse’s database on behalf of the federal agents, in what some experts called “back-door access” to Flock’s national network of databases. Flock Safety avows it has never had a formal partnership with the federal government. The company did grant Border Patrol agents covert access to its servers through a “pilot” agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Because the Syracuse Police Department had opted into Flock’s national network, the federal agents could access Syracuse’s data. Flock never shared Syracuse’s data, but Syracuse’s police department allowed outside entities to access its database. Following Central Current’s reporting of SPD’s data exposure, Syracuse city councilors in November began exploring options to block Flock from operating in Syracuse. Five months later, the council finalized those plans in a Monday voting session, unanimously voting to revoke Flock’s permission to operate on city streets. Directing his comments toward federal immigration agents rather than Flock, Councilor Jimmy Monto said in a statement ahead of the vote that the revocation was a step toward protecting every individual in the city. “Our job is to follow the process. That means we don’t bust through doors without warrants,” Monto said. “… It does not mean that we as a city are OK with federal Gestapo agents coming into this city and taking people from the jobs that they have worked for 20 years or the homes that they live in and own in this county or in this city or anywhere in this country.” The federal immigration agents Monto referred to have no formal relationship with Flock Safety  — but they do have one with Axon Enterprise, the company Syracuse chose as an alternative license plate reader vendor.  Flock Safety’s Vice President of Communications Holly Beilin questioned Syracuse officials’ logic in partnering with Axon. Beilin said that the companies’ license plate readers operate the same way, collect the same kind of data and store the data in the same way.  Flock since February has attempted to correspond with Syracuse lawmakers regarding the parties’ agreement but said the city has given Flock the cold shoulder.  Syracuse is among dozens of other local governments to question, revisit, or terminate their Flock contracts in recent months.  A timeline of Central Current’s Flock Safety coverage Aug. 13, 2024: A study found Syracuse’s new license plate readers make frequent mistakes. Councilors didn’t know before approving them. March 20, 2025: Syracuse police collect countless data points. How vulnerable is that data to ICE? June 18, 2025: Syracuse police have access to a nationwide network of license plate reader data. Who has access to theirs? July 4, 2025: Syracuse police ‘inadvertently’ exposed driver data to thousands of cops around the country July 7, 2025: Syracuse lawmakers plan to question police about sharing drivers’ data: ‘We’ll dig a little bit’ July 22, 2025: A simple step by Syracuse police exposed drivers’ data to millions of searches, deputy chief says Sept. 5, 2025: Syracuse University is installing controversial license plate readers. One privacy expert calls it a ‘big middle finger to immigrants’ Sept. 11, 2025: Federal immigration agents accessed Syracuse drivers’ data through secret Flock Safety deal Nov. 14, 2025: Will Syracuse lawmakers end Flock’s ability to put license plate readers near city streets? Nov. 20, 2025: Syracuse lawmakers could upend two SU-owned license plate scanners before they are installed on city property Nov. 24, 2025: Syracuse lawmakers cut SU’s plans for Flock readers on city property, table similar vote on police’s readers Dec. 10, 2025: Why Flock will get to keep Syracuse drivers’ ‘anonymized’ data even if lawmakers cancel their contract Jan. 14, 2026: Local advocates want to ‘melt’ Syracuse’s links to ICE. Will lawmakers listen? Jan. 29, 2026: How Mayor Sharon Owens plans to wrangle oversight of the surveillance technology her administration inherited Feb. 5, 2026: Syracuse police to pitch lawmakers on switching license plate reader provider Feb. 9, 2026: Syracuse lawmakers approve contract for Axon license plate readers, plan to block Flock Safety from city streets Feb. 9, 2026: Why Syracuse lawmakers’ voting session became a meltdown between activists and lawmakers Feb. 13, 2026: Syracuse wants to break up with Flock. Not so fast, company says. But Beilin said the reticence of Syracuse officials is unlike anything Flock has encountered in other cities exploring premature terminations of their Flock contracts. “Claiming that different data is collected, or that this is an immigration concern, and then going to Axon is crazy,” Beilin said. Beilin flagged comments that Syracuse Police Department Deputy Chief Richard Trudell and the city’s corporation counsel Sue Katzoff made to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard when the Common Council in February approved a contract with Axon for license plate readers. “The data that is collected as a result of the installation of the LPRs is data that is solely owned and accessed by SPD and the city,” Katzoff said. “(Axon) can’t share data because they don’t have data to share.” Beilin said these are the same terms and conditions that Syracuse agreed to in its contract. The terms and conditions that Walsh agreed to with Flock granted the company the perpetual right to use Syracuse’s “anonymized data” however it wished.  “Flock is exactly the same,” Beilin said. “All data, per our terms and conditions, are owned by the customer.” Flock told Central Current that it requested through the Freedom of Information Law all correspondence between Syracuse officials and Axon. So far, the city has yet to confirm receipt of the request, Beilin said. Beilin cited Monto’s rationale in a letter requesting the city clerk draft legislation to revoke Flock’s privileges.  “What does that mean? ‘Collecting personal data that possibly violates the privacy of members of the public.’ It’s license plates. They’re not personal data,” Beilin said. “Also, then, why would you go to Axon? To collect the exact same data?” Micah Bock, a deputy assistant secretary for strategic communications in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s office of public affairs, underscored the assessment of Flock and local advocates that Axon has deeper ties to the federal government’s immigration enforcement arm than Flock does. “DHS does NOT maintain a contract with Flock Safety. DHS works with many private contractors to fulfill its mission of protecting American citizens,” Bock wrote in response to emailed questions from Central Current. “Axon Enterprise, Inc. provides body-worn cameras and other body camera-related accessories, and licenses and other software to DHS components.” A Central Current reporter asked Monto if he was concerned with Axon’s Homeland Security relationship, given the immigration concerns that led the council to block Flock. “I’m concerned with anybody’s contracts with DHS,” Monto said. The reporter pointed out that Flock has no contracts with DHS, though Axon does. “Flock’s ability to do business in the city of Syracuse has been revoked,” Monto said. Axon’s long-term relationship with the federal government, particularly with the department of Homeland Security, have since January featured in local conversations about law enforcement. A group of peace organizations led by local Democratic Socialists of America members has pushed the common council to enact a resolution to “melt” contracts with companies connected to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Flock was one of the activists’ main targets. Axon was another. As the local activists have pointed out, Beilin contended that partnering with Axon after citing concerns about federal immigration operations is counterintuitive.  If city officials believe the data that license plate readers collect is personal data that infringes on individuals’ privacy, a new provider doesn’t change a thing, Beilin argued. “Then you can’t install Axon,” Beilin said. “Then you just have to not use LPRs.” The post Syracuse lawmakers ice out Flock Safety in favor of company contracting with ICE appeared first on Central Current. ...read more read less