The Syracuse Police Department and The Department of Public Works are each considering utilizing new surveillance technology, and the city is looking for community input ahead of their adoption. Mayor Ben Walsh’s Surveillance Technology Policy requires the city to engage residents on the implementation of any new surveillance technology the city wants to use.
“This is exactly what we promised to do as part of our commitment to accountability and public transparency in the use of surveillance technology by city government,” said Mayor Walsh.
SPD wants to use street cameras to capture still images of licenses plates to help in criminal investigations. DPW hopes to use GPS tracking to locate the department’s fleet in real-time, which would include camera images along driver routes to ensure crew safety. According to a release from the city, the street cameras would collect data continuously, and they won’t identify specific drivers.
To submit a public comment toward The City’s Surveillance Technology Advisory Group, residents can visit http://bit.ly/syrtech2021. Comments are being accepted through December 20th.