Little Rock Board Delays Vote on Police Surveillance Oversight

Little Rock Board Postpones Vote on Surveillance Oversight Ordinance

The Little Rock Board of Directors did not come to an agreement on a vote regarding a proposed ordinance that would increase oversight of police surveillance technology, KATV reported. City officials will instead revisit the legislation at a later date.

Sponsored by Position 9 At-Large City Director Antwan Phillips, the proposed Little Rock Police Surveillance Technology Reporting Ordinance aims to establish stricter reporting requirements, regular audits, and limits on how long the Little Rock Police Department can store gathered data. Under the text of the proposal, the department would be required to conduct monthly audits to identify potential misuse of the technology. Additionally, an annual summary must be published by LRPD explaining the utilization of its surveillance instruments, the volume of arrests aided by the technology, and instances of rule infractions by officers.

The Precedent Behind the Push for Stricter Rules

Approximately one month prior to this legislative effort, LRPD placed three officers on paid administrative leave after discovering they had misused license plate reader equipment. A review revealed that a single officer ran a check on the identical license plate via the Flock camera platform 28 times across a span of 10 days.

Little Rock board to vote on ordinance boosting oversight of police surveillance tech

The proposed ordinance would also establish limits on how long the department can retain surveillance data. As a general rule, information gathered by license plate readers would need to be erased after 150 days, whereas other types of surveillance information would be capped at 180 days. The legislation requires greater public disclosure when the department considers purchasing new surveillance technology. The Board of Directors would need to hold public discussions for any acquisitions totaling $50,000 or greater, and the agency would also be mandated to reveal any testing of novel surveillance capabilities prior to making a purchase.

Phillips Introduces Second Police Surveillance Transparency Ordinance

This is not Phillips’ first attempt to establish additional oversight of police surveillance technology. A previous police surveillance transparency bill was brought forward by Phillips last December, but the Board of Directors ultimately voted against it.

Little Rock Board Delays Vote on Police Surveillance Oversight — Photo: arkansasonline.com

Monday’s vote will determine whether the latest proposal moves forward. KATV will continue following the board’s decision and provide updates to this article after the vote.

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