California Government Surveillance Cameras Thrive Without Safeguards

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Stella Richardson

California cities are moving quickly to install video surveillance cameras on public streets and plazas without regulations, with little or no public debate, and without an evaluation of their effectiveness, according to an ACLU report released earlier this year.

A public records survey done by the ACLU disclosed that, even though 37 cities have some type of video surveillance program and 10 are considering expansive programs, none has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the cameras’ effectiveness [full list of cities and their responses]. Only 11 police departments have policies that even purport to regulate the use of video surveillance. The ACLU sent Public Records Act requests to 131 jurisdictions statewide and received responses from 119 cities.

In the last two years, the federal Department of Homeland Security has made more than $1.4 billion available to cities for anti-terrorism projects. This funding, along with rising homicide rates and aggressive marketing by security companies, has led many cities to approve and install surveillance camera systems. The ACLU is urging local governments to pause and consider whether this is the best way to make our cities safer before rushing to adopt this new technology, given its civil liberties implications.

The 28-page report “Under the Watchful Eye” examines law enforcement justifications for video surveillance programs, looks at the threat these video surveillance programs pose to privacy and free speech, and makes a series of recommendations on how to change course and protect civil liberties.