Deferred again: Metro Council makes no decision on business surveillance footage for use by MNPD
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Is the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) going too far? It was a question debated for nearly two hours at Tuesday night's Metro Council meeting.
But that question was left unanswered because Metro Council deferred the MNPD's request for access to surveillance video camera feeds on a voluntary basis.
Before the Metro Council meeting, those in attendance of the Public and Safety Committee drilled the MNPD with questions wanting to know more about FUSUS technology. While city leaders said they need to do everything they can to improve public safety, some argued that the step would be a violation of privacy.
"This is a tool in the toolbelt of our police department — and a voluntary one at that," District 14 Councilmember Jordan Huffman said, speaking in favor of the resolution.
The back-and-forth discussion took up the majority of the night and put business surveillance cameras in the spotlight.
Resolution 2024-792 would approve a contract between Metro Government and Fusus, LLC to "increase the value, extend the term, and utilize the full scope of work including surveillance technology."
Essentially, the technology would allow the MNPD to have access to business security cameras and monitor its footage when a crime happens near the business. The MNPD explained that camera footage would not be taken from private citizens as part of this resolution. The department added businesses could choose to opt-in or opt-out of the program.
"FUSUS consolidates public and private surveillance networks into a system controlled by law enforcement, creating an infrastructure that feels more like Big Brother than a guardian of public safety," a member of the public in opposition of the resolution said during Tuesday's Metro Council meeting.
Some of Tuesday's public attendees spoke in favor of the resolution, even pointing to their own experiences that could have benefitted from the help of cameras.
"When I was burglarized, we developed the tag pretty quickly of the vehicle that was being used and before that person could be caught, even though it was traveling up and down Bell Road Murfreesboro Road and Hobson Pike," one woman said, speaking in favor of the resolution. "It took about 18 days and 12 more victims before that vehicle was stopped. Technology can see more than officers can."
For years, companies have used cameras as a deterrent, even posting warning signs to would-be criminals. Police said that the cameras could help them solve crimes faster.
"Civilians that witness a crime don't often get the best descriptions," MNPD deputy chief Chris Gilder said during the Public Safety Committee meeting. "This kind of eliminates some of that issue by allowing us to go in see the actual video of the suspect [and] provide a good, solid description to the responding officers so that we can be more precise in our response and we're not stopping the wrong people. We're getting to the right person and hopefully solving a crime."
However, some called tapping into Fusus technology an invasion of privacy.
"Increased police surveillance and government overreach pose a real danger to our community and threaten our safety and well-being," another resident said, speaking against the resolution.
Over the weekend, the MNPD responded to an incident at a Hermitage bowling alley after a 20-year-old was shot and killed. Councilmember Huffman asked if the technology would have been useful in responding to the case.
"Yeah, absolutely," Gilder answered. "...If they're a donor camera, that is something that could have been done literally as the call came out — as officers were on their way to the call and possibly intercepted the people who were involved."
Many brought up the worry about whether the MNPD would be able to obtain sensitive information about residents without probable cause. The concern even expanded to worries about the federal government being able to access the video.
The resolution will be discussed at Metro Council's first December meeting.
