Regulation of Police Technology Creates Frustration

Regulation of Police Technology Creates Frustration

The city council is weighing a measure that would give the panel final say over all surveillance efforts in Hartford.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Nov 16, 2018

A city council proposal to more closely monitor new law enforcement surveillance technology is creating frustrations in Hartford, Conn. With police planning to deploy drones throughout neighborhoods, the council wants a say over what equipment, monitoring and data retention officers use.

Under a proposal that the American Civil Liberties Union helped draft, city agencies would need permission for all current and new methods of surveillance, including unmanned aerial devices, license plate readers, body cameras, video and audio recording systems, facial and voice recognition software and gunshot detection hardware.

"This ordinance, as currently presented, would significantly slow our progress utilizing new technology to enhance public safety," Hartford Police Chief David Rosado told the Hartford Courant. "We have and will will continue to work with city council members and other stakeholders as we try to come to a consensus on how to best move forward."

In order to comply with the proposal, the agencies would have to submit reports highlighting the technologies' impact and must disclose policies governing their use. This has created much frustration with law enfacement due to the amount of surveillance programs run by police.

Police officials estimate there were at least 30 programs, some with hundreds of individual pieces. More than 900 cameras have been strategically placed throughout the city, and authorities are in the process of adding another 210. Two drones have been ordered and 325 officers will wear body cameras beginning in 2019.

The council measures require police to seek approval for all existing programs within 120 days. Council members then have 180 days to make a decision and if no decision is made, police must halt the use of the technology.

Proponents of the council's measures say it is meant to boost transparency and encourage public input. While both police and fire departments have come up with policies governing the use of technology, council members said they want residents to offer feedback.

"We're talking about community policing and community input," Council Minority Leader Wildaliz Bermudez said. "This is a good way to be able to have those conversations that are needed."


About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Collaboration Made Easy Using a Work Management Platform

    Effective collaboration between security operators, teams and other departments is critical to the smooth functioning of organizations. Yet, as organizations grow in complexity, it becomes more difficult for teams to coordinate with each other. This is compounded by staffing shortages, turnover and ineffective collaboration tools. Read Now

  • Creating a Safer World

    Managing and supporting locks and door hardware within a facility is a big responsibility. A building’s security needs to change over time as occupancy and use demands evolve, which can make it even more challenging. Read Now

  • Creating More Versatility

    Today, AI has become top of mind for most security professionals. It is the topic of conversation in the technology world and continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. Read Now

  • Report: 78 Percent of CISOs Seeing Significant Impact from AI-Powered Cyber Threats

    Darktrace recently unveiled its 2025 State of AI Cybersecurity report. The findings reveal that 78% of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) surveyed say that AI-powered threats are having a significant impact on their organizations, a 5% increase1 from 2024. While an increasing number of CISOs report feeling a significant impact from AI threats, more than 60% now say that they are adequately prepared to defend against these threats, an increase of nearly 15% year-over-year. However, insufficient AI knowledge and skills and a shortage of personnel and talent continue to be listed as the two top inhibitors to a successful defense. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.