Mayor, DA Want Binghamton Lawmakers to OK More Police Cameras

Binghamton City Council has balked at accepting money from the Broome County District Attorney's Office to install more surveillance cameras on city streets.

Lawmakers have withheld their approval of expanding the existing network of pole-mounted cameras and license plate readers around Binghamton.

This Flock Safety surveillance device was installed on Riverside Drive in Binghamton in May 2023. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Critics of the surveillance system have questioned how the information collected is used by the city and Flock Safety, the company that provides the equipment.

Flock devices already have been deployed throughout Binghamton and thousands of other cities across the United States.

The company's business model has generated privacy concerns in many communities.

Pavement markings designate the spots where new Flock Safety surveillance devices were being installed in Binghamton in June 2023. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Michael Kosty, the sole Republican on city council, said he supported accepting the county funding because "cameras have been proven to deter crime and help bring those who commit crime to justice."

Kraham, Akshar and Battisti - all Republicans - criticized council Democrats for not promptly accepting the money. Kraham the funding would "keep neighborhoods safe."

Akshar characterized the opposition to adding cameras as "yet another misguided, nonsensical decision" by a city council "that seems more interested in making radical political statements than improving the lives of the people of this community."

A traditional police surveillance camera on Court Street in Binghamton. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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