Jonathan Makeley calls for strong safeguards on Flock cameras and a halt where they are lacking
Jonathan MakeleyProhibition Party candidate for governor of New York, in an emailed statement
Jonathan Makeley, the Prohibition Party candidate for New York governor, told Dispute Index by email that Flock and similar cameras need at least stronger policies, including safeguards for data and video access, the same standards of access and evidence as regular surveillance cameras, human review of flagged results before police act, and transparency. He said use should be halted wherever proper safeguards cannot be enacted, until they are.
“There should be at the very least stronger policies to address the main issues involved with them. There should be strong safeguards for data and access to video feeds. There should be strong policies enacted to protect against improper access or use of these cameras.”
Emailed statement
Read the full email
I’ve been reading about the issue of flock cameras and other similar cameras this year and the concerns that have been brought up about them. There should be at the very least stronger policies to address the main issues involved with them. There should be strong safeguards for data and access to video feeds. There should be strong policies enacted to protect against improper access or use of these cameras. The use of such camaras by law enforcement should meet the same standards of access and evidence that there would be for using regular surveillance cameras. Anything flagged in a data search from such camaras should be verified by a qualified human reviewer before law enforcement should act on it. There should be proper transparency regarding such camaras. If an area or institution is unable to presently enact proper safeguards, then the use of such camaras should be halted, unless or until they are enacted.
Where this statement fits
Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Networked automated license-plate readers record passing vehicles and let agencies search or share travel records across locations. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to prohibit these networks, keep them with legal limits, or defend their use for investigations. This tracker records attributable positions on that choice, including proposals that would affect only public funding or data access.
Source and context
Emailed statement
Emailed statement from Jonathan Makeley to Dispute Index on license plate readers
I’ve been reading about the issue of flock cameras and other similar cameras this year and the concerns that have been brought up about them. There should be at the very least stronger policies to address the main issues involved with them. There should be strong safeguards for data and access to video feeds. There should be strong policies enacted to protect against improper access or use of these cameras. The use of such camaras by law enforcement should meet the same standards of access and evidence that there would be for using regular surveillance cameras. Anything flagged in a data search from such camaras should be verified by a qualified human reviewer before law enforcement should act on it. There should be proper transparency regarding such camaras. If an area or institution is unable to presently enact proper safeguards, then the use of such camaras should be halted, unless or until they are enacted.
About this source
Makeley sent this statement by email from the New York Prohibition Party's address in reply to a Dispute Index request about license plate readers. The link is to his campaign page on the party's website; the statement itself is not published there. The full text is reproduced as sent, including its spelling.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Dispute Index asked Makeley where he stands on Flock-style license plate readers. He wrote that he had been reading about Flock and similar cameras this year and the concerns raised about them.
After the quotation
Makeley said police use of the cameras should meet the same standards of access and evidence as regular surveillance cameras, that anything flagged in a data search should be verified by a qualified human reviewer before police act, and that there should be transparency. He concluded, "If an area or institution is unable to presently enact proper safeguards, then the use of such camaras should be halted, unless or until they are enacted."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Makeley would allow continued use under strong safeguards and would halt it only where those safeguards cannot be put in place, so his position is conditional on the safeguards. We labeled it Mixed or conditional with the Guardrails step, since the halt applies only until safeguards are enacted.
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More from this case
Read the full caseWalid Hakim says he opposes Flock and Palantir, and objects to easy law-enforcement access and company use of travel data rather than to camera networks
“We oppose Palantir and all companies associated with them, including Flock. It’s not the idea of having a network of cameras that we oppose. It’s the easy access by law enforcement to allow abuse, stalking and unauthorized surveillance, and the data being collected by these companies of our travel habits to be used for their own purposes.”Read statement
Stephen Hamilton says he opposes Flock cameras and that government "should not be building a searchable record of where innocent people travel"
“I oppose Flock cameras because privacy should apply to everyone—including the people who build and operate surveillance technology. If the people behind these systems believe their own photographs, personal information, or movements deserve protection, then why should ordinary Coloradans be treated differently? Government should not be building a searchable record of where innocent people travel. Tell law enforcement to do the job they were hired to do—investigate crimes, pursue criminals, and protect the public without turning every citizen into a surveillance target.”Read statement
Michael Addison would keep Flock cameras for criminal investigations under statewide safeguards, including judicial approval for prolonged tracking
“I would support these networks only when enforceable safeguards protect both.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
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- Jonathan Makeley calls for strong safeguards on Flock cameras and a halt where they are lacking
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/3845-jonathan-makeley-the-prohibition-party-candidate-for-new
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Jonathan Makeley calls for strong safeguards on Flock cameras and a halt where they are lacking". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3845-jonathan-makeley-the-prohibition-party-candidate-for-new