A new poll commissioned by the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce shows strong public support for surveillance cameras in certain public safety situations, even as opponents of the city’s expanding camera network are raising new concerns about privacy and oversight.
According to the chamber-backed survey conducted last week, 75% of respondents said they somewhat or strongly support using CCTV cameras following 911 calls.
Another 74% supported cameras near major event venues such as Seattle Center and stadium districts, but the survey did not ask residents whether cameras should be installed in residential neighborhoods.
Seattle Metro Chamber CEO Joe Nguyen says that, after months of debate during Mayor Katie Wilson’s first eight months in office, the Chamber sought clarity on how people feel about the issue.
“When you’re talking to the regular person in Seattle who just wants a safe place for their kids, it is pretty clear they want to have more tools to help with public safety,” Nguyen said.
At the same time, members of the Community Not Cameras Coalition toured Seattle’s Real Time Crime Center on Monday, where video feeds from the city’s surveillance network are monitored.
Coalition members said the visit left them with more concerns about how the technology could be used and whether sufficient safeguards are in place.
“They’re constantly going back to public safety. Side note, there’s barely any mention of privacy.” Mocek said of the tour.
Mocek is a software engineer with the coalition. He asked specifically about certain access and actions using CCTV cameras or Automatic License Plate Readers that are not allowed because of policy or not allowed because it’s impossible to access.
“Tell us whether your policy prohibits it, or it’s not possible. And every time we asked about this, we either didn’t get an answer, or they basically said, yeah, that’s policy.” Mocek said.
AJ Randall, a cybersecurity expert with the coalition, said the group didn’t get answers about protections in city policy to address issues of law enforcement officers misusing surveillance or ALPR tools that have arisen in other areas of the country.
“[My] final concern is that there seems to be no comprehensive monitoring or auditing process to ensure that cops are only using these systems for legally justifiable purposes,” Randall said.
The debate comes days after a shooting in Pioneer Square after the Seahawks game.
The area has CCTV cameras part of the city’s Real Time Crime Center, but the cameras were turned off after the World Cup as Mayor Katie Wilson awaits the result of a civil liberties and privacy audit.
“They were fine during the World Cup, but right now they’re not. So from my perspective, we need to show leadership in this space. It’s one of the most important issues Seattle residents are facing. And they want to make sure that their leaders have the right tools to be successful.” Nguyen said.
The debate also centers on Mayor Katie Wilson’s approach to city surveillance technology. Wilson campaigned on addressing privacy concerns surrounding CCTV systems.
When asked whether the recent Pioneer Square shooting could lead to surveillance cameras being turned back on in that area, the mayor’s office pointed to an ongoing privacy and civil liberties audit of Seattle’s camera systems that began earlier this year.
The administration says the review is intended to evaluate how surveillance technologies affect residents and determine what changes, if any, should be made moving forward.
“Everyone in this city deserves to feel safe, and that means taking seriously what safety means for every community. Residents and businesses dealing with crime need to know we hear them. Immigrant families, LGBTQ+ residents, and people seeking and providing reproductive care need to know we hear them, too.
We owe all of them a serious, evidence-based answer. Earlier this year, we commissioned an independent audit to review how camera data is collected, stored, and shared, and to provide recommendations.
When that data comes back this fall, we will share what we learn with the public and use it to shape our path forward.” The Mayor’s spokesperson said in a statement.
The city expects the privacy audit findings later this fall.