Radio Free Hub City has released an updated and expanded Community Surveillance Report, a public transparency initiative aimed at informing residents about the increasing presence of surveillance technologies in Hagerstown, Boonsboro, and across Washington County. The report details the types of surveillance systems in use, their capabilities, and how data collected by these systems is shared and retained by various law enforcement agencies.
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The revised report features a dynamic map illustrating the locations of Flock cameras, public-facing surveillance cameras, speed cameras, and red-light cameras. It provides granular data on the usage of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), specifically Flock Safety cameras, which are designed to capture specific, searchable data rather than continuous video feeds. For instance, the report details that the Hagerstown Police Department operates 20 owned Flock cameras and has captured a significant volume of vehicle data. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office utilizes 2 owned cameras. The report also indicates that the Boonsboro Police Department uses 14 owned cameras. Data on “Max Cameras” searched in a single instance and the total number of “Vehicles Captured” over a 30-day period are provided, with figures for Hagerstown showing 222,890 vehicles captured in a recent 30-day period, Boonsboro with 96,145, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with 157,923.
A significant aspect of the updated report is the comprehensive list of organizations with which local law enforcement agencies share data. The Hagerstown Police Department, for example, obtains data from a vast network of law enforcement agencies across multiple states, including but not limited to police departments in Angier, NC; Avon, IN; and Cambridge City, IN, as well as the Lowe’s Corporation. The report also outlines the permissible and prohibited uses of various technologies, including Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), License Plate Readers (LPR), Live Stream/Tracking Technology, and Automated Speed Enforcement Systems (ASE) by the City of Hagerstown, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Town of Boonsboro, though data retention periods are noted as “Unknown” for many applications.
The Community Surveillance Report aims to provide a living dashboard that tracks the expansion of public surveillance technology. It offers regular updates on data usage, system audits, and growth metrics for these platforms. Radio Free Hub City emphasizes that transparency is crucial for public trust, especially as law enforcement agencies adopt more sophisticated monitoring tools. Residents are encouraged to utilize this resource to understand how these systems operate and their potential impact on community privacy.
The report will be updated as additional information is analyzed and validated by Radio Free Hub City.
Article by Ken Buckler
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