Troy City Council Sues Mayor Over 26 AI Cameras as Emergency Keeps $78,000 Flock Deal Alive
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · May 17
Troy City Council Sues Mayor Over 26 AI Cameras as Emergency Keeps $78,000 Flock Deal Alive
2 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · May 17
Tuesday’s lawsuit asks Mayor Carmella Mantello to void what the council calls an illegal state of emergency used to keep Troy’s AI license plate camera program running.
The clash began after the council paused payments to Flock Safety; Mantello then invoked emergency powers to release the remaining $78,000 on a two-year, $156,000 contract.
Council leaders say police installed 26 cameras without council approval or public input, and they are reviewing whether the procurement bypassed rules requiring signoff on contracts above $35,000.
Police say the cameras have aided nearly every detective investigation, including two homicide cases, while activists and some council members cite privacy, immigration-search and data-security risks.
The fight has turned Troy, a city of 52,000, into a local test case in the national backlash against Flock systems, with more than 90,000 such cameras estimated to be in use across the U.S.
Can a $100 device trick AI cameras, and what does this mean for the millions spent on public safety technology?
When a city’s surveillance contract ends, who truly owns the public’s data—the city or the tech company?
As states now restrict police data sharing, is the era of nationwide private surveillance networks coming to an end?
48-Hour Data Retention Battle: Troy’s Lawsuit Over Flock Cameras and Local Surveillance Authority
Overview
The conflict in Troy centers on Mayor Carmella Mantello’s decision to implement Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras, which sparked a major disagreement with the City Council over executive authority. Concerned about privacy and civil liberties, the Council filed a lawsuit against the Mayor, arguing that the cameras collect data without public knowledge and threaten residents’ freedoms. This legal battle is a significant test of the balance of power between the mayor and the council. The outcome is expected to have lasting effects on how local governments manage public safety technology and protect individual rights.