Austin Mayor Kirk Watson says he wants the city to reinstate license plate reading technology after a citywide manhunt of three shooting suspects last weekend.
Police say the suspects, accused of stealing at least three cars during a shooting spree that left four injured over Saturday and Sunday, could have been caught more quickly with the help of the surveillance technology. Austin previously used license plate readers but stopped last year.
Previously, the city used the stationary cameras to scan plates and flag vehicles involved in crimes. The city ended its contract with industry-leader Flock last June, citing community concerns about privacy. While Austin police dismantled the cameras it had setup across the city, the department still had access to some data from other cities.
In the wake of last weekend's shootings, Watson said the city should revisit its decision to halt using the cameras. Watson said in a statement he thinks the Austin City Council's recent framework to evaluate surveillance tech, known as the TRUST Act, allows for the cameras — and safeguards to allay community concerns.
"This weekend's events shined a spotlight on the real-world benefits of this technology to assist law enforcement professionals in complex and emergency situations," Watson said. "Now that we have the framework in place, it is time we move forward. We need to give our law enforcement professionals the tools they need to make sure people are safe."
The TRUST Act requires police to submit a formal policy and publicly disclose the use of surveillance technology.
Council Member Chito Vela, who authored the council's previous policies on license plate readers, said he's waiting on a proposal from city staff on how the police department could roll the cameras back out, adding that he hoped "any proposal from staff to include robust safeguards that protect both our civil liberties and public safety."
Council Member Mike Siegel, who opposed the use of the cameras, said he would he would "remain open" to discussing the use of license plate-readers, but cautioned that data from readers have been linked to wrongful arrests and immigration enforcement.
"I understand why we are asking the question of which tools should APD acquire to keep us as safe as possible," Siegel said. "I want to balance our response to make sure that we aren't adopting new technologies that make us less safe, overall."
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