Nashville council should allow police access to private surveillance footage
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Re: 'Nashville violent crime might be dropping, but many citizens don't feel safer,' by David Plazas, Feb. 26 (online) and March 2 (print).
David Plazas published a very informative column. Mr. Plazas researched crime rate offenses in Nashville.
In short his research supports that violent crime is down but property crime is up in Nashville. Offenses not reported – whether violent or property related – cannot be captured and analyzed.
This column concerns how the Nashville Metro Council may vote in the near future for a second time on Fusus. FUSUS allows Metro Nashville Police Department to access cameras of private citizens to help apprehend criminals faster.
Private citizens willingly offer MNPD to use their videos. Theses citizens are saying to the City that "I want to help and be part of the solution in making Nashville safe again.'
The video feeds from private citizens should convince the doubters that no bias, profiling or politics were involved to capture feeds. There are some that believe that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will have access to the captured information. This has been confirmed a 100 different times, and the answer is no.
There are many who want to put limitations and restrictions on the private citizen feeds. Will it be so watered down that it is useless? That is not what I want. I want a fair and non-biased tool to reduce crime rates.
Opinion: Nashville must postpone surveillance program because there are too many concerns
Keeps politics away and support the use of this technology. This is like adding more boots on the ground for MNPD.
The Metro Council's next meeting is Tuesday night and my hope is that the Council has come to its senses and has started to listen to the every-day citizens. Maybe that will convince Mayor Freddie O'Connell to stop sitting on his hands and roll out the use of previously voted and approved License Plate readers .
Private citizens are willing to help, listen to them! Should the Council vote no, we are left to defend for ourselves. To quote Mr. Plazas " Show citizens council is working to make them feel safer."
Steve Jones, Nashville 37221
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville police should get access to camera owners' footage | Letters
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