Several members of the Monroe County Legislature introduced legislation requiring the Monroe County Sheriff to disclose purchases of surveillance technology exceeding $100,000 to the County Legislature.
The proposal would require quarterly reports identifying the surveillance technology purchased, its capabilities and intended use, the vendor, the cost, and the funding source.
The legislation defines surveillance technology to include systems capable of collecting or processing audio, video, location, thermal, biometric, or similar information.
The measure comes as law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on sophisticated technology such as artificial intelligence tools, cloud-based data systems, and advanced analytics.
“Technology is transforming modern policing,” said Legislator Rachel Barnhart. “These tools can be powerful and valuable for public safety, but they are also complex and expensive. At a minimum, the public and their elected representatives should know what systems are being purchased and how they are being used.”
The proposal was introduced after legislators raised concerns about the lack of visibility into some recent technology purchases. Monroe County entered into a long-term agreement with Axon Enterprises valued at approximately $15.4 million for body-worn cameras, cloud-based evidence storage, and artificial intelligence tools used to assist with police report writing. The Legislature was not asked to vote on the agreement.
Barnhart said the disclosure requirement is a practical step to ensure transparency as government agencies adopt increasingly sophisticated systems.
“This legislation is not anti-law enforcement and it is not anti-technology,” Barnhart said. “Law enforcement professionals rely on advanced tools to do their jobs effectively. Transparency simply ensures the public and their elected representatives understand how those tools are being deployed and taxpayers know how their dollars are being spent.”
Barnhart also recently asked the New York State Comptroller’s Office to revisit a 1988 legal opinion that local officials have cited to classify modern software platforms as commodity purchases rather than professional services contracts. Barnhart said the opinion predates cloud computing, software-as-a-service platforms, and artificial intelligence systems now commonly used by government agencies.
“Technology has changed dramatically since 1988,” Barnhart said. “It’s important that procurement guidance keeps pace with the modern technology governments are actually buying.”
Under the proposed legislation, the Sheriff would submit quarterly reports disclosing surveillance technology purchases over $100,000. Certain sensitive details could be withheld if disclosure would jeopardize public safety or law enforcement operations.
The legislation will now be referred to committee for consideration.