Binghamton Univ. Plate Readers Track Cars on Off-Campus Streets

Automated license plate readers installed for Binghamton University appear to record vehicle information of people driving in the city of Binghamton and the village of Johnson City.

The university hasn't answered specific questions about the controversial Flock Safety devices that were set up at locations away from the main Vestal campus.

One plate reader is attached to a light pole on Washington Street, in front of the University Downtown Center. It's located directly across the street from Visions Federal Credit Union Memorial Arena.

Two more devices have been installed in Johnson City - on Corliss Avenue and on Willow Street. They are located near the university's Health Sciences Campus.

The plate readers are not set up to track people entering university parking lots. They appear to record license plate information of passing vehicles even if they don't travel onto university property.

Binghamton University officials have not been available to answer questions about the off-campus devices. In response to inquiries from WNBF News, a spokesperson wrote: "In 2023 the University contracted with Flock Safety to install Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems at all campus entrances, including ITC (the Innovative Technolgies Complex in Vestal), UDC (the University Downtown Center in Binghamton), and the Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City."

The statement said the plate readers "provide another level of safety and security for those who live, teach, work and visit the campus."

According to the statement, "the system was fully operational by the beginning of the fall semester."

The university has adopted a policy that governs the use of the plate readers. The policy was last revised on June 24. The policy can be viewed HERE.

University police chief Matthew Rossie is responsible for administering the plate reader policy. The school spokesperson said Rossie is "not available" to discuss the use of the devices. No one from the university was able to answer questions about the deployment of the equipment.

Flock Safety license plate readers recently sparked a contentious debate among Binghamton city councilmembers and some area residents due to privacy and data retention concerns.

Lawmakers eventually voted to accept $66,000 from the Broome County District Attorney's office to install the devices in "high-crime areas."

Dozens of Flock Safety plate readers previously had been installed around Binghamton as part of a city contract with the company.

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