Troy City Council has gone to court to overturn Mayor Carmella Mantello’s emergency declaration that kept Flock license plate readers running after the council paused contract payments.
The fight centers on whether the mayor can keep paying Flock without council approval; council leaders call the order an illegal end-run around spending authority and a dangerous precedent.
Troy police say the cameras are critical for tracking suspects, but opponents cite privacy risks, data access, security concerns and possible use by federal agencies including ICE.
Lawmakers say strong public feedback has pushed them to draft local rules for license plate readers, extending the dispute beyond the lawsuit into broader regulation.
A mayor uses emergency powers to fund police cameras. Is this a necessary act for public safety or a dangerous executive overreach?
If police AI can solve major crimes but tracks everyone, where do we draw the line between security and constant surveillance?