The proposal by the two members of the Syracuse Common Council follows the discovery that Wegmans introduced biometric surveillance technology in New York City stores.
Patrick McCarthy
Patrick McCarthy is a staff reporter at Central Current covering government and politics. A graduate of Syracuse University’s Maxwell and Newhouse Schools, McCarthy was born and raised in Syracuse and attended Nottingham High School.
Before joining the Central Current team, he worked as a writer at Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and wrote concert reviews for syracuse.com | The Post Standard. McCarthy also served as a contributing writer for TriplePundit, a publication focused on sustainability and corporate responsibility. In his role with Central Current, he provides access and transparency to elected officials – helping raise accountability and connecting readers to the decisions that shape Central New York.
Patrick McCarthy can be reached at pmccarthy@centralcurrent.org
Posted inCity of Syracuse
Syracuse University lawyers ask appellate judge to restore tax exemption to student center
The city did not send an attorney to argue against Syracuse University’s ask for a panel of judges to reinstate the university’s full tax exemption and strike down a local court ruling that upheld the partially revoked exemption.
Posted inNews
Mayor Owens has ‘no immediate considerations’ to replace vacant community position on surveillance technology group
One of the city’s five community stakeholders has vacated his seat on the Surveillance Technology Working Group, but a city spokesperson said that Mayor Sharon Owens isn’t actively seeking a replacement.
Posted inNews
Syracuse lawmakers warm to ‘Melt’ proposal, pass watered-down version of activists’ measure
A local advocacy coalition since January has pushed lawmakers to enact legislation that would block the city from entering or renewing contracts with companies supporting federal deportation operations.
Posted inPolicing
Advocacy groups call on Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens to allow public into surveillance tech discussions
Central Current previously reported that three transparency experts believe Syracuse’s Surveillance Technology Working Group appeared to have violated the New York State Open Meetings Law.
Posted inPolicing
Does Syracuse’s surveillance tech evaluation group have a right to privacy? Experts say no
The city’s Surveillance Technology Working Group has been violating New York’s Open Meetings Law, three experts say. The city contends that’s not true.
Posted inPolicing
Syracuse lawmakers ice out Flock Safety in favor of company contracting with ICE
Lawmakers finalized a plan to pivot its provider for license plate readers from Flock Safety to Axon Enterprise, citing immigration concerns. Flock officials called out their reasoning.
Posted inImmigration
‘Hedging her bets’: Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens won’t codify anti-ICE stance
Advocates want to see Owens do as other Democratic mayors have recently done and turn her anti-ICE pledge into policy.
Posted inNews
City considering ‘weapons detection’ tech from company connected to Utica stabbing, FTC lawsuit
Public records show the Syracuse Police Department “has done their own research” and found “no red flags” on Evolv. The FTC in 2024 hammered the company for “misleading marketing claims.”
Posted inNews
What Haudenosaunee resistance to reindustrialization means for ancestral lands in the AI age
Haudenosaunee see harbingers of harm in Upstate New York’s reindustrialization akin to the disastrous environmental impact of past industrial development.