Atlanta proposes new rules for Flock cameras, public safety tech

article

A Flock Safety automated license plate reader camera (FOX 5 Atlanta).

ATLANTA - Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens plans to seek new citywide rules governing license plate readers and other public safety camera technology following an audit of more than 115,000 searches conducted using the Flock system.

What we know:

Dickens' administration said it will work with the Atlanta City Council to introduce the legislation at its Sept. 21 meeting. The proposal would establish standards governing how city departments use and access public safety camera systems and the data they collect.

The administration is seeking a City Council work session and public hearing on the proposal, with a goal of having the council consider final approval within 60 days of its introduction.

Flock audit prompted additional review

The backstory:

The proposal follows an audit ordered by Dickens of 115,578 Flock license plate reader searches conducted this year by the Atlanta Police Department.

According to the city, APD flagged approximately 0.07% of the searches for additional investigation to determine whether they complied with department policies and training requirements.

The city emphasized that a search being flagged does not mean a violation occurred.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the department expects to complete its investigation of the flagged searches within 60 days. Any disciplinary, corrective or administrative action would be determined after that review.

APD changes license plate reader policy

What we know:

APD has already revised its license plate recognition policy following the initial audit findings.

The changes more clearly define when the technology can be used and identify prohibited uses. The department also established monthly audits, updated training requirements and restricted access by outside law enforcement agencies.

Under the revised policy, inquiries from outside agencies must go through authorized APD task force officers. The department also restricted access through retired reserve officer accounts and reiterated that misuse could result in administrative or criminal consequences.

What the proposed Atlanta law would do

What they're saying:

The proposed legislation would expand those safeguards beyond APD by establishing standards for public safety camera technology used across city government.

Among other provisions, the legislation would require written policies spelling out authorized and prohibited uses, who can access the systems and what training employees must receive.

It would also establish rules for how data is collected, protected, retained, deleted and shared.

High-risk law enforcement systems would be subject to monthly internal audits and quarterly public reporting on audit activity, findings and corrective actions, subject to restrictions protecting sensitive information.

An independent compliance review of high-risk technology would also be required annually.

The proposal would require contracts with Flock and other covered technology companies to incorporate Atlanta's privacy, security, access, data retention and sharing standards. Vendor compliance would be reviewed annually.

The city would also create a public inventory of covered technologies and establish additional review requirements before deploying new or significantly changed high-risk technology.

Technology installed temporarily for an emergency or major event could not automatically become permanent without further review and authorization.

Some uses would be explicitly prohibited

Why you should care:

The legislation would prohibit city technology from being used for discriminatory or viewpoint-based purposes.

It would also prohibit the use of city systems or data for personal, commercial or other unauthorized purposes.

Dickens said the goal is to balance the use of technology as a law enforcement tool with privacy protections and oversight.

Public hearing planned

What you can do:

The proposal will still have to go through the City Council's legislative process.

The Dickens administration plans to request a council work session to examine the legal, technological and operational aspects of the legislation.

It is also seeking a public hearing where residents, civil rights organizations, privacy experts, public safety officials and other stakeholders could comment on the proposal.

Council committees would then consider the legislation and could make changes before it goes to the full council for a final vote.

RELATED STORIES