And when they spy on us let them discover us loving.
― Alice Walker, Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart
Halt further installation of Verkada surveillance cameras.
Decommission any Verkada cameras already installed.
Consult with the public via CPC before finalizing decisions on any new surveillance system, or other game-changing police technology.
Technical capabilities of new system (if any is warranted) should maximize civil liberties protections, while still meeting Police Department’s stated goals (as approved by Trustees, and after public consultation):
a. Short (3 - 7 day) retention periods
b. No remote access
c. No Cloud vendor
d. No backhaul over public internet
e. No use to investigate First Amendment protected activity, including political protests
f. No real-time video (similar to Maplewood's system, which apparently? requires a 10-minute delay)
g. Use only for
violent crime,
major property crime,
and traffic accidents.
Police Department must justify any increase in surveillance, including reference to conditions in South Orange, such as sustained changes in crime rates.
Craft strong policies, including public input, on the use of the cameras. This includes:
a. no face recognition, nor face “match”; no AI, computer vision, or People Analytics
b. no video feeds to outside agencies, including Federal, Regional, or State “fusion centers”.
c. Implement the policy recommendations of the CPC subcommittee.
Please respond to the community within 30 days, and partner with the CPC to determine next steps