Chief Mike Salada said that Flock Safety is providing one drone on loan for the town police force to try out. He added they intend to start using it to get aerial coverage of Lewiston’s summer events, like the Lewiston Jazz and Peach festivals.
“Maybe it’d get over an area where there’s a call for service going on that officers are going to be coming to so that we can get an idea of what’s going on,” Salada told members of the village board on Monday. “It’s basically just more of a security measure to help protect the large crowd that’s out there.”
The drone would be based on the village’s Red Brick Building roof, can be controlled remotely, and can be deployed immediately. Salada said they had used a drone during last year’s festivals, which have gone high enough for people not to realize they are there.
The department would provide Flock with feedback about the drone. Salada said they have a grant request out for funding this technology, which would enable them to continue funding it in the future.
Flock announced its Alpha Drone in a press release this past October, saying it is the company’s first-ever National Defense Authorization Act-compliant drone system made in the United States. It adds that they are built for emergency situations and public safety, capable of reaching speeds of 60 mph and their cameras are able to read license plates from 2,000 feet away.
“Flock Alpha is fully integrated with the existing Flock DFR system, which is already helping dozens of agencies across the country solve crime and keep officers and communities safe,” the press release reads. It adds that these drones can be integrated with other Flock products, including license plate readers.
The Lewiston Town Board had previously approved allowing Flock’s license plate reader cameras to be set up at the following five intersections:
• Military Road and Annover Drive
• Saunders Settlement Road and S. Hewitt Drive
• Pletcher Road and Calkins Road
• Pletcher Road and Park Road
• Military Road and N. Hewitt Road
Those cameras come from a five-year contract worth $172,000 per year, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office entered with Flock in 2023.
The American Civil Liberties Union has criticized Flock for building out mass surveillance infrastructure, with the information gathered shared with federal agencies. Chapters in Washington state and Massachusetts have called for their regulation.
© 2026 the Niagara Gazette (Niagara Falls, N.Y.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
