Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi and Sheriff Kirk Imperati are withdrawing their support for the county’s continued use of Flock Safety technology following a series of community forums.

The two announced the decision Monday, saying they listened to residents' concerns about the technology and believe the county should change course.

Flock Safety uses automated license plate readers to capture vehicle information that can assist investigators with cases involving stolen vehicles, missing people and serious crimes.

Parisi and Imperati previously supported the technology, but said feedback from residents prompted them to reconsider.

“We cannot ask the public to participate in the process and then disregard what they tell us,” Parisi said. “As elected officials, we work for the people of Dutchess County. Being responsive to them is not optional.”

Imperati said he still believes license plate readers can be useful to law enforcement, but acknowledged the concerns raised about Flock.

“Believing a technology can be useful does not mean government should continue using it when the people it serves have raised serious concerns,” Imperati said.

The officials said the Flock system was introduced as part of a broader effort to give investigators additional tools. They also pointed to public meetings, discussions with local officials and a transparency website as efforts to explain how the technology was being used.

Now, Parisi and Imperati say they will work with county officials on the steps needed to discontinue the county’s use of Flock, including reviewing existing contracts and operational obligations.

County Executive: $500,000 Could Be Redirected

Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said she supports the decision.

“If the District Attorney and the Sheriff no longer believe that Flock Safety technology is a tool that they need, I stand by them in that decision,” Serino said.

Serino also pointed to a potential budget impact.

She said approximately $500,000 in Flock contract costs are currently included in the District Attorney’s proposed 2027 budget. Now, those funds could potentially be redirected to other county programs and services, including EMS, veterans, seniors and youth programming.

The announcement comes after growing local debate over automated license plate readers, including concerns about privacy and how vehicle data is collected and used.

Parisi said the county’s decision should ultimately reflect the concerns raised by residents.

“Leadership cannot mean asking people to speak and then ignoring them when they do,” he said.