NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Council voted in favor of a bill that allows the Metro Nashville Police Department access to private surveillance cameras.
It's been a controversial bill, but one that some leaders believe will keep the community safer. It passed Tuesday night with 28 votes in favor, while seven voted no. One councilmember abstained.
Metro Council previously voted on the topic in December and denied it by one vote. Since that vote, guardrails were added to keep MNPD from misuing the program.
The FUSUS surveillance program allows police to quickly access private security cameras, like outside of area businesses, if the camera owner opts in.
Several amendments were made to the original bill including one that requires officers wanting access to a camera to fill out a form about why they needed it. Those forms would then be audited by an independent firm.
The FUSUS program is backed by Metro Police and Mayor Freddie O'Connell's office who have said the program will help police solve crimes faster. But it's been a topic of concern for civil liberties advocates who are concerned about privacy and the potential for misuse, especially in communities of color.
"Forgive me for not believing that guardrails are going to protect anyone that I represent," said District 30 councilmember Sandra Sepulveda. "At the end of the day this conversation does feel like we are speaking two different languages several people are talking about property, but at the end of the day I'm talking about people."
"Nothing in this lets us know your immigration status, your sexual preferences, it is just a picture of a crook leaving a business," said District 27 councilmembe Robert Nash.
When the bill was originally up for a vote in December, owners for more than 1,300 cameras in Davidson County had already registered with FUSUS.
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-Lelan Statom
