ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – Tompkins County is severing its relationship with Flock Safety.

On April 14, a special meeting of the Legislature was called to consider a resolution to end the county’s contract with the security company.

Flock license plate readers and gunshot detection devices, part of the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative grant program, have been operating in the county since 2023. Critics have widely attended public meetings to voice their concerns over privacy issues, as well as the potential misuse of the system by law enforcement. Proponents point to the benefits for public safety, as the system has netted multiple arrests and helped locate a missing vulnerable adult.

There was concern that ending the contract with Flock could jeopardize the county’s eligibility for the GIVE program and the Youth Employment Program funding that comes with it. The county was also facing a hard deadline to make a decision, as Flock’s contract was set for a 2-year auto-renewal at the end of May, and the company required a 30-day advance notice of termination.

In explaining the resolution, County Attorney Maury Josephson indicated it’s unlikely to affect the county’s grant eligibility.

When asked if he thought the move meant the county would lose the GIVE grant, Sheriff Derek Osborne was optimistic.

“It’s impossible for me to say with any certainty, but I highly doubt it,” said Osborne. “We did get the approval for the funding, and the application was submitted last Thursday, [which] was the deadline, so for all intents and purposes, I assume we are going to receive it.”

Osborne says the application was altered to reflect the county’s intention, and his office is researching how they’ll move forward.

The resolution passed 12 to 1, with three legislators absent.

You can watch the full meeting here.