NORWICH – The Chenango County Sheriff's Office was granted permission by the county Board of Supervisors Monday to go through with the purchase of computer software that provides enhanced aerial images of all four corners of the county.
Notwithstanding deliberation among board members, a resolution was adopted in a 20-3 vote in favor of accepting a $74,000 grant from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Grant money will be used to purchase a software program called Pictometry, which allows access to detailed aerial pictures of the county that law enforcement and first responders say will help them do their jobs more safely and efficiently.
Similar to the popular free software Google Earth, Pictometry provides a database of overhead photographs taken across the county. However, unlike Google Earth, the program also allows users to see high resolution angle shots of properties, and even provides rough dimensions of structures including their height and width.
According to the newly adopted resolution, the software “may be utilized by other Chenango County entities” including the county's 911 dispatch center, the Chenango County Bureau of Fire, and real property tax services.
In spite of benefits that proponents say Pictometry will bring to the county, critics were skeptical, arguing that the software is a step in the wrong direction in terms of preserving the privacy of local residents.
Accepting grant money to contract with a private company warrants serious questions and concerns, Smyrna Supervisor Michael Khoury said to the board. “They are asking us to photograph every house in Chenango County in high resolution. Once the federal government gives us that money, those pictures become their property as well … This is a situation where civil liberty issues far outweigh the benefits.”
“It's just a picture,” explained Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R Cutting Jr. “Images aren't taken in real time. And these pictures will only be updated every few years, if that's what we choose to do.”
Cutting added that Pictometry allows police and first responders to see if a structure is a barn or a three story house – something not easily determined by aerial shots available on Google Earth.
Cutting further explained that Pictometry images do not zoom in so close as to see vehicle license plates or inside peoples' homes. Additionally, he said that because the Sheriff's Office is an accredited agency that meets and exceeds the state's standards of excellence, the facility already has policies that would prevent inappropriate use of the software.
While the issue of privacy was cause for debate, town supervisors also questioned which county employees would have access to the Pictometry database, when the software would be applicable to use, and what guidelines should be established that would prohibit sharing images with entities outside the county, public or private.
“I think it's very important that the contract with (Pictometry) include that they can't sell this information,” stated North Norwich Supervisor Robert Wansor.
With that, a motion was made to amend the resolution to prohibit Pictometry from sharing images with other entities. The motion to amend was adopted with only Supervisor Khoury, along with Plymouth Supervisor Jerry Kreiner and Preston Supervisor Peter Flannagan. The three argued that any use of Pictometry is unnecessary and infringes on individuals' right to privacy.
A motion to accept grant funding to purchase Pictometry software was also passed with the amendment.