CANTON — The times are a-changing, say St. Lawrence County legislators who think expensive aerial photos should be available to the public.
The photos will be taken in the fall by a Rochester company the county has contracted to provide images from multiple angles. The pictures will be a clearer version of what's available from popular satellite services such as Google Earth.
The photos are being paid for with law enforcement funds and essentially are aimed at providing information to police and emergency responders. Once they're in the county's possession, however, they enter the public realm and will be available by request.
A couple of lawmakers have raised privacy and corporate proprietary questions, but most seem to consider such images public domain.
"This is material that's visible from the road," said Sallie A. Brothers, D-Norfolk. "If I wanted to rent a plane or a glider or even ride my bike by your house and take pictures, I could."
Legislators unanimously agreed to hire Pictometry to take the pictures, but only after they agreed to set a usage policy later. Legislator Thomas A. Nichols, R-Oswegatchie, led the initial lobbying effort, raising privacy concerns and questioning aloud whether pictures showing windows on the back of a house could be abused by burglars.
Democratic lawmaker Frederick S. Morrill, DeKalb, is apprehensive on a corporate level.
"There are things out there that should be protected," he said. "I don't think another aluminum company should get pictures of Alcoa. I don't think it should be completely left to the public domain."
Pictometry's Web site demonstrates clarity by showing increasingly closer shots of a parking lot. The images blur before license plates can be read. People can be seen, but not identified.
"It's not an active image. It's taken as a one-time shot in the fall," said Legislator Donald A. Peck, R-Gouverneur. "I don't think every citizen in New York state should have it, but in today's computer world, I guess that's going to happen. It's out there."
The company has taken photos of more than 45 counties in the state including Jefferson, Lewis and Franklin. St. Lawrence County law enforcement has long wanted such images, but the cost was a problem.
The county contracted Pictometry after receiving $117,720 in federal homeland security funds. The remaining $38,925 came from the district attorney's share of drug bust money.
"If we pay for them with public money and they're useful, they should be available," said Peter W. FitzRandolph, D-Canton.
Legislators have not scheduled a time to debate a usage policy. The pictures will not be ready until winter.
"It's almost a factitious argument to say it's an invasion of privacy," Mrs. Brothers said. "What's the solution, control the airspace over our homes?"
