Surge in Police Adoption of Private Cameras for Video Evidence Raises Privacy Concerns

Major cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., are gearing up to establish Real-Time Crime Centers, positioned as pivotal hubs for the seamless integration of various police technologies and data. Described as a “nerve center,” these facilities typically amalgamate public surveillance video with diverse police technologies such as license plate readers, facial recognition, drone cameras, body camera footage, and gunshot detection software. The proliferation of these centers has become widespread, with at least 135 currently operational across the country, according to reports.

Advocates assert that these centers enhance law enforcement’s ability to solve crimes and apprehend suspects efficiently. However, critics express concerns about privacy infringement and fear that the heightened surveillance might disproportionately target marginalized communities, including Black individuals.

These crime centers increasingly blur the boundaries between private and public surveillance sources. In certain cities like Atlanta and Albuquerque, the number of private cameras supplying data to law enforcement significantly surpasses public ones. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy non-profit, highlights the changing landscape, pointing out the surge in camera-equipped devices and the shift from tape to cloud storage for footage. This shift allows police to dir

[…]
Content was cut in order to protect the source.Please visit the source for the rest of the article.