Albany County

The New York State Police acquired automated license plate readers as early as 2010 and used the technology to spy on citizens attending service at mosques.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Democrat & ChronicleHuffington PostELSAG

The New York State Police acquired cell-site simulator technology in 2005, according data compiled by Kevin Collier for Vocativ. Records show the agency used a Triggerfish from a helicopter as recently as 2023.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): VocativKevin CollierNew York State Attorney General

The New York State Police has 126 drones, according to a 2022 report from the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): ACLU of New YorkCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.wkbw.com

The New York State Police paid $15,000 for Clearview AI face recognition licenses.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Buzzfeed Newswww.syracuse.com

The New York State Police uses the predictive policing program ShadowDragon.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): New York Focus

The Albany County Sheriff's Office operates 20 Flock Safety automated license plate readers, plus another seven at Crossgates Mall, as of September 2025.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Pittsboro Police Department

In 2018, the New York Attorney General provided $69,151 to the Albany County Sheriff's Office for 43 body-worn camera systems, six body-worn camera docking stations, and other body-worn camera accessories.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): New York Attorney General's Office

The Albany County Sheriff's Office has six drones, according to a 2022 report from the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): ACLU of New YorkCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.spotlightnews.com

The Albany Police Department uses ELSAG automated license plate readers, according to a 2015 policy document.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Albany Police DepartmentELSAG

The U.S. Department of Justice awarded $133,305 to the Albany Police Department in 2015 as part of the Bureau of Justice Assistance's body-worn camera grant program. APD purchased 250 Axon body-worn cameras in 2017.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Times UnionU.S Department of Justice

The Albany Police Department operates two drones as of 2019, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.timesunion.com

The Colonie Police Department purchased 115 Axon body-worn cameras in 2023.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): WAMC

The Colonie Police Department has six drones, according to a 2022 report from the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): ACLU of New YorkCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.spotlightnews.com

The Bethlehem Police Department has been using automated license plate readers since at least 2021.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Bethlehem Police Annual Report

The Capital Region Crime Analysis Center (also called the Albany Crime Analysis Center) is part of a network of 10 real-time crime analysis centers supported by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice. It is housed at the Albany Police Department's South station, but serves law enforcement agencies in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties. Established in 2009, it received a $370,000 expansion in 2016. According to a press release, the CAC "features a video wall measuring 4.5-feet high by 12-feet wide that displays multiple sources of data and information in real time, including the Albany Police computer aided dispatch log and public surveillance cameras" and crime-mapping capabilities.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): New York State Division of Criminal Justice ServicesTimes UnionNew York Governor's Office

The Cohoes Police Department received $15,500 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to purchase 16 body-worn cameras through the 2022 Small, Rural, Tribal BWC Microgrant program.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Small, Rural, and Tribal Body-Worn Camera microgrant grantee list

The Village of Green Island Police Department received a donation in 2019 to purchase automated license plate readers.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Village of Green Island Industrial Development Agency

The Menands Police Department has one drone, according to a 2022 report from the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): ACLU of New York

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision began using body-worn cameras in 2018.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): New York Department of Correction and Community SupervisionNew York Department of Correction and Community SupervisionBody-Worn Camera Training and Technical Assistance

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles uses face recognition but does “not permit any local, state or federal police department or government agency, including ICE, to access its photo database for face recognition purposes.” The DMV does have agreements to share data with the Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey Departments of Motor Vehicles, for the purpose of preventing fraud in the Commercial Driver’s License issuing process.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Electronic Frontier Foundation

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras.

Sources (via the EFF Atlas): New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services