UPSTATE NY SHERIFF BOUGHT FLOCK CAMERAS WITH FEDERAL FUNDS, BY-PASSING COUNTY LEGISLATURE
EMAILS SHOW COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS DENIED ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY SHERIFF PATRICK ENGLE'S REQUEST TO PAY FOR 7 FLOCK CAMERAS, ENGLE PUT 4 UP ANYWAY
An AI-generated image of FLOCK CEO Garrett Langley with a real-life image of St. Lawrence County Sheriff Patrick R. Engle.
MALONE, NEW YORK SEPT. 22, 2026
PART 4 OF A SERIES
St. Lawrence County Sheriff Patrick R. Engle installed at least four FLOCK cameras throughout the county even though the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators denied his request to fund the purchase of seven FLOCK cameras, emails obtained by The Free Lance News show.
While county lawmakers denied his request for county cash to purchase the cameras, the Board did not block FLOCK cameras from St. Lawrence County altogether. Engle funded the sheriff department's purchase of the FLOCK cameras through a federal grant.
One of the FLOCK cameras Sheriff Engle deployed is on County Road 115 in the Town of Clare (pop. 91). It is the first FLOCK camera deployed in Adirondack Park—which protects the largest true, roadless wilderness east of the Mississippi.
The FLOCK cameras deployed in St. Lawrence County by Sheriff Engle are in addition to a federal and state network of at least 72 license plate tracking cameras in 36 locations throughout northern New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Pres. Donald Trump teamed up to put that network in place, the Free Lance News previously reported.
In addition to St. Lawrence County, the joint federal and state network has cameras in Franklin, Clinton, Essex and Warren.
The federal funds Engle used to purchase the FLOCK cameras were from a "Stonegarden" grant. The grants, FEMA says, are intended "to enhance cooperation and coordination among state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal law enforcement agencies to jointly enhance security along the United States land and water borders."
Engle is one of 15 New York sheriffs suing Gov. Hochul to stop enforcement of a 2026 New York law called the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act." The new law bans county sheriffs in New York from assisting federal authorities with civil immigration enforcement.
Sheriff Engle did not respond to a list of questions about his department's use of license plate tracking cameras, including whether he shares the information those cameras gather with the Border Patrol or other law enforcement agencies.
In addition to the license plate tracking cameras Sheriff Engle operates, the Sheriff's Department requested and received access to the vehicle information gathered by three FLOCK cameras in the Watertown Lowe's parking lot, the emails show.
Emails obtained by The Free Lance News show FLOCK contacted the St. Lawrence County sheriff's office in 2025.
"I was hoping to come by your Department at some point this month to provide a Lunch & Learn," FLOCK "territory sales manager" Brad Cochrane wrote undersheriff Shawn McCargar Apr. 30.
McCargar wrote Cochrane back an hour later.
"Thanks for reaching out. I have reached out to the local police Chiefs in my jurisdiction as well to attend, there are only 5 of them," McCargar wrote. "We are looking to get set up with some Flock LPR cameras in the near future as we just discussed this about two weeks ago at a Chief’s meeting so this is perfect timing."
Cochrane, the FLOCK sales rep replied: "That sounds like a great idea. I appreciate the help driving attendance and I'm looking forward to meeting everything [sic] in a couple weeks."
"We currently had the funds to purchase 4 cameras from last year’s stonegarden grant and I have requested funds for another 10 cameras," McCargar wrote Cochrane May 9.
"The chiefs," he added, referring to heads of the largest police departments in St. Lawrence County, "are excited to learn more about the Flock LPR systems as we are all currently unsatisfied with the provider we are currently using."
They scheduled a sit down at the sheriff's headquarters for May 30. Police chiefs from Canton, Potsdam, Ogdensburg and Gouverneur were invited.
Three months later in August, FLOCK sent the sheriff's department a "deployment plan" and a contract for "3 Fixed LPRs and 1 mobile flex unit."
A month after that, FLOCK rep Cochrane pressed the department to sign an agreement.
"It's been a while since we last spoke," Cochrane wrote undersheriff Gregory Anderson. "I wanted to see where we stood with moving forward with your LPR project?"
The sheriff's department wrote back Sept. 3: it was "in the process of getting payment done."
Engle, the St. Lawrence County sheriff, does not appear to have either requested or received permission from the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislature to deploy FLOCK cameras or any other brand of license plate tracking surveillance technology.
Since he used federal funds from the Stonegarden homeland security grant program to purchase them, the sheriff did not need the Board to give him the money.
No resolution approving the purchase appears in the online record of the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators. A spokesperson for the Board confirmed no resolution was passed by the Board authorizing the sheriff to purchase or deploy license plate tracking surveillance cameras of any kind, whether made by the FLOCK corporation or some other brand.
Stephen D. Button, the St. Lawrence County Attorney, said "All I can say is to the best of my knowledge no FLOCK specific resolution was ever passed."
The sheriff sent FLOCK a "signed order form" on Sept. 24. A week later, Cochrane wrote the sheriff's department to "officially ... welcome you to Flock Safety!"
He added: "I appreciate the push on your side to get this project over the line."
Two of the cameras were installed in January, emails show. Another was installed in early September.
Seamus Ford took over as FLOCK sales rep for "Upstate/Western NY" in 2026.
Ford emailed undersheriff McCargar in February after meeting him at a New York State Sheriffs' Association conference in Albany. Ford wrote he wanted to set up a Zoom meeting "to get on the same page for your Flock account and make sure you're aware of everything we have going on up here in the Northeast!"
After the Zoom meeting, Ford emailed the sheriff's department he was "still waiting on final approvals" for the new contract, the emails show. Ford sent the department a new contract "for your 7 LPRs (install fees 100% waived)" Feb. 24.
Two weeks later, Ford wrote the department asking "Have we made internal progress regarding whether the county legislature needs to approve this?"
McCargar wrote back: "Yes we will need the county legislature to approve this contract."
McCargar added "We are presenting a resolution at our next committee meeting and expect board approval at the full board meeting on April 6th. I apologize for the delay."
Theresa Wray, the sheriff department's "Principal Fiscal Officer," wrote St. Lawrence County Attorney Stephen Button Mar. 10. Wray informed Button the sheriff's department was "looking to submit a resolution for the next finance meeting on 3/30 to sign the attached 2 year contract for 7 Flock LPR cameras and software."
"At this time," Wray added, "we would just like to do the 7 cameras/software agreement but I’ve also left the other additional quotes for your review as these may be potential future add-ons. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns."
Button didn't like FLOCK's standard contract. It required the county to agree to litigate any disputes in Georgia.
"I’m not licensed there so if you get into a fight over the terms of the service after installation, I cannot help you there," Button explained. "Also, we enjoy none of the immunities regularly afforded to governmental entities in New York if we are sued in Georgia." Button asked "for that to be changed."
FLOCK sent the sheriff's department an editable copy of its contract for Button to comb through and make changes for FLOCK's consideration, but Button never did it because the county legislature refused to budget funds for the purchase.
We don’t know whether FLOCK would have agreed, and we don’t know whether the sheriff’s department would have inked the deal anyway.
"I did receive the documents but as they were unaccompanied by a resolution authorizing the agreement and no one had discussed them with me, I took no action," Button wrote in a Mar. 24 email. "Last night, I was informed the resolution still has not gone through. I will await authority before taking action."
At this critical point, Ford, the FLOCK rep, was allowed to insert himself directly into St. Lawrence County's internal decision-making process. Ford emailed Button and cc'd five sheriff's department officials.
"To clarify, do you need the resolution approved for this contract before sending your redlines back to us?," Ford wrote. "I was under the impression that we would need to agree on the terms prior to submitting the resolution/contract to the agenda, but I may be mistaken."
Button responded by explaining "Normally, the resolution will be presented to Committee first." Only after the committee approves it does the proposed resolution go "to the Full Board."
The FLOCK "resolution has not even gone before the Committee yet. I believe it is contemplated that the resolution will go to the Finance Committee on 3/30."
If the Finance Committee approved it, Button said he would make his recommended edits the next day.
But the Finance Committee of the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators refused to buy the sheriff seven more FLOCK cameras.
"The project was presented to a pre-committee and is currently on hold," St. Lawrence County Sheriff Chief Deputy Leighton Filiatrault wrote Ford Apr. 3
You would never know any of this from the official record of the Board published on the Board’s website. It contains no references at all to FLOCK or license plate reading cameras. It was all done behind closed doors.
Engle, the St. Lawrence County Sheriff, did not respond to an invitation to respond.
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