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Residents raise allegations of police harassment and call for clear policy on license-plate-reading cameras
Summary
Public commenters at the Vestal meeting alleged ongoing police surveillance and harassment; the town supervisor said he reviewed reports and body-camera footage and found no evidence to substantiate the claims. Residents asked the board to publish a public guideline on the town’s use of 'Flock' cameras.
At the June 10 Vestal Town Board meeting two residents used the public-comment period to raise concerns about police monitoring and to request clearer town policy on license-plate-reading (so-called "Flock") cameras.
Resident Jared Sansky, who identified himself and gave his address, said he had submitted a proposed policy and asked the board to post a public guideline describing who has access to Flock-camera data, how long the data are retained, and whether data are shared with third parties. "I don't want my information going there," Sansky said, urging documented access controls and disciplinary measures for unauthorized use. The board signaled willingness to follow up and the supervisor offered to gather more details and report back.
Earlier in the meeting the supervisor addressed allegations made at a prior meeting by another resident and summarized his review of police records and body-camera footage. He said he watched the relevant video and reviewed documents and concluded that officers and supervisors were "professional, appropriate, and actively tried to assist the resident" and that he found no evidence to substantiate the claims. He listed contact counts between the police department and the resident by year: 2022 (1 call), 2023 (4 calls), 2024 (20 calls), 2025 (2 calls) and 2026 (1 call), and described departmental controls for body cameras and logs required for use of Flock cameras.
Resident Maria Sexton said she had filed a notice of claim and that the attorney general's office had received documents related to her allegations of harassment and retaliation; she said legal action was forthcoming. Sexton disputed the supervisor's finding and said she continued to feel monitored and harassed.
The board did not take formal action at the meeting on the allegations. The supervisor said requested documents would be provided to the resident, and he offered to follow up regarding a public guideline on the town website about camera access and retention. The board did not announce a timeline for that review.
