u/Antique-Branch-9892

After my strange phone call with Albany Common Councilman Tom Hoey about the City’s Flock cameras, I filed a FOIL request with the City of Albany for the full Flock Safety contract: including amendments, pricing, policies, and the terms governing its license-plate surveillance system.

About a week later, I learned that my license had been scheduled for suspension over an old equipment summons from well over a year ago that I believed had already been addressed. I resolved the issue immediately.

I am not claiming retaliation. I do not have evidence proving that.

But then Albany County announced an investigation involving alleged heavy misuse of Flock searches by a law-enforcement employee.

That is exactly why residents have been asking:

Who can search us?
Who audits those searches?
Who can access City data through other agencies? And what happens when someone abuses the system?

I also called the Mayor’s Office this morning to ask whether the recent arrest had changed the administration’s position on Flock. The staffer I spoke with said she was not aware of the arrest.
That honestly raises even more questions.

The City should release the complete contract, disclose its audit procedures, and explain whether it has independently reviewed its own Flock usage in light of what just happened in Albany County.

This is not anti-police. It is basic oversight.

If Albany wants residents to trust a surveillance system capable of tracking where vehicles and people travel, then show us the safeguards.

If not, residents can make their judgment at the ballot box.

❄️More funny videos: https://gturl.jp/nm7Fx

Albert is a rescue camel living at Rancho Grande, an animal sanctuary in the hills of Ojai, California. As a baby, he came from a camel dairy farm where he struggled to nurse, so caretaker Alex Murad stepped in and bottle-fed him nearly ten times a day. That early care created a deep bond. Even as Albert grew, he never stopped seeking that comfort — often walking straight into Alex’s house, curling up near his bed or wandering through the kitchen. His visits aren’t mischief, but trust and attachment, and despite the chaos a camel can cause indoors, Albert is a beloved part of the sanctuary family 🥺❤️🐪

[credit IG: ranchogrande_ojai and thedodo ]

Many of us and now others rode the school bus to school. I remember waiting in the freezing cold for the school bus. Only to find out school was cancelled because of all the snow.