Seattle Takes Public Feedback Ahead of Surveillance Systems Purchases for Crime Fighting
Story by Joel Moreno, KOMO News Reporter • 3d
Seattle is seeking public feedback on a plan to put cameras and other technologies in high-crime neighborhoods after funding for the systems was proposed by Mayor Bruce Harrell and approved by the City Council in this year’s budget.
A group of technologies being proposed for public review is part of the Technology Assisted Crime Prevention Pilot project. The elements include a closed-circuit television system (CCTV) and an acoustic gunshot location system (AGLS) that are integrated with real-time crime center software (RTCC).
Seattle City Council approved $1.8 million for the project, which includes $300,000 to expand the automatic license plate reader system.
However, during a presentation at Seattle City Hall on Monday, public feedback was strongly opposed to the system.
“It seems like a waste of money as well as creating extreme duress and anxiety among people for constantly being filmed,” said Stephan Elmer, who gave testimony against the surveillance proposal. “It feels like instead of addressing these issues, we’ve instead addressed everyone as a potential criminal, and now we are watching their every move.”
As the city continues to address police staffing shortages and the slow pace of hiring, surveillance equipment is once again being considered as an alternative to hold people accountable for gun violence and other crimes.
The CCTV proposal would have cameras face toward the street, sidewalk and other public areas and will require signs to be posted identifying their presence. Privately-owned security systems can also share video streams of public areas with the Seattle Police Department.
Privacy rights groups have frequently opposed gunfire detection systems, saying research sometimes shows it to be ineffective at preventing crime.
Tee Sannon, the technology policy program director for ACLU-WA, emailed a statement to KOMO News expressing the organization’s concerns.
“It is disappointing that the city is trying to rush ineffective and dangerous gunshot detection technology to Seattle’s streets, along with closed-circuit tv and real-time crime center technologies that have the potential to violate privacy and undermine civil liberties. Such extensive surveillance systems chill free speech, deter free association, fuel racial disparity in policing, and provide a false sense of security at the cost of privacy and race equity.
“Given these risks, it is crucial that communities that are disproportionately impacted by these technologies have their voices and concerns heard. We are deeply concerned that the city has provided less than a month and only two hearings for public comment. We call on the city to slow down and meaningfully engage the public in the surveillance ordinance’s mandated review process.”
The public comment period runs from now through Feb. 29. There are three ways for people to provide input: They can submit their comments on each technology online at the city of Seattle privacy website using the three survey forms:
A second public hearing is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. on Feb. 27 at the Bitter Lake Community Center, located at 13035 Linden Ave N in Seattle.