1. Let’s talks about the software system, Fusus – how does it work and how much has Metro PD spent on it?
A: This week, Metro Council denied a request by Metro PD to update their contract with Fusus, a system that allows police to access private surveillance footage from camera owners who volunteer for the program. Police currently review footage if they’re looking for footage of a crime.
Currently, anyone in Nashville can register a security camera with Metro PD and inform them that a camera is operating at a particular location and police can then review footage as needed.
More than 1,000 private cameras are currently registered with police and so far this year they paid $75,000 for Fusus.
But the current system is a time-consuming process, and the contract update would have give police faster access to cameras that already exist.
Had they gotten a new contract, camera owners would have given police permission to access live footage from a camera during an active call or could decide to restrict the department to viewing a certain amount of footage around the time an alleged incident occurred.
Dozens of cities around the country use this system and Nashville’s failed proposed policy is the same as Orlando, Minneapolis and Lexington
But critics in Nashville were concerned the footage could be turned over to federal officials for things like enforcing immigration law.
2. How much has Metro PD spent on other surveillance technology?
A: They spent about $12,000 on two drones in February, these “Eye in the Sky” cameras that allow police to surveil a scene.
Since 2020, they spent almost $2 million on body worn cameras, which help both police officers and the public they’re interacting with.
Both those technologies are used by almost every police department around the country, some more so than others. Las Vegas Metro PD for instance has more than two dozen drones and spent half a million dollars on them.