NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Council has voted to deny the controversial FUSUS surveillance program. 20 council members voted for it, but the resolution needed 21 votes to pass.
The program is a network that gives Metro police access to public and some private surveillance cameras with the owner's permission — like private cameras you might find outside a business.
It's a program backed by Metro Police but panned by civil liberties advocates, and the question of whether to allow the program to continue came up for a vote Tuesday night.
Supporters, like Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's office, argued the program helps police solve crimes faster. Civil liberties groups were concerned about privacy and the potential for misuse, especially in communities of color.
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There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom