Officials say GIVE grant paid for Flock cameras; sheriff and prosecutor outline access, privacy safeguards

A public commenter asked the Tompkins County Public Safety Committee on June 24 to clarify how the Flock network of gunshot detectors and license-plate-reading cameras relates to the county's GIVE (Gun Involved Violence Elimination) grant and how the system is being paid for.

The sheriff told the committee the GIVE program arrived in Tompkins County three years ago in response to a spike in shootings. "All the Flock devices were paid for using grant funding, through the GIVE program," the sheriff said, adding that the city and county both have access to the Flock system.

The sheriff said the county requested $125,000 of the current grant cycle to maintain the devices covered by the county contract and that the grant award overall is "in excess of $300,000"; the sheriff also said the grant included $20,000 in reimbursable overtime for possible patrol work. He said Flock devices have been installed over the past month, with the city moving faster on permitting.

District Attorney Matt told the committee his office treats Flock evidence like other investigative leads. "My office would be the gatekeeper of how that evidence is used ... we will never use Flock technology as the sole evidence with which to prosecute a case," he said, adding that Flock generates leads that help investigators locate vehicles and follow investigative leads.

Officials and staff described early operational success: the sheriff listed several cases where Flock data contributed to investigations, including a February 2023 assault in Almyra, thefts and a recent missing-person recovery with assistance from a jurisdiction that also uses Flock technology. Probation and community justice officials said GIVE-funded supervision and programming have reduced repeat violent incidents among participants.

Committee members and county staff raised privacy and data-security questions. A committee member asked whether a multiagency memorandum of understanding (MOU) had been executed to govern Flock use across policing agencies; the sheriff said an MOU exists for the GIVE initiative but does not specifically address Flock. The sheriff and county counsel said sheriff's office and IPD license-plate-reader policies predate Flock and govern use; a county attorney noted contractual protections with the vendor.

Speakers also discussed data retention and third-party access. A county attorney noted the vendor's documentation indicates a 30-day retention policy for some Flock data, but warned that data sharing across agencies can extend data availability. Committee members pressed for more technical detail: where data are stored, who can run queries, whether retention could be shortened, and what controls prevent other agencies from accessing data for unrelated purposes.

The sheriff said he heard community concerns and promised to research data-security specifics; he added, "if we ever find out these Flock devices are used in a way that our county does not appreciate or would not stand behind, it's gonna be simple. Flock will just be gone." No new formal policy changes were adopted at the June 24 meeting; officials said they would continue to review contractual protections and operational policies before and during the next GIVE grant cycle, which begins July 1.