Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Board of Commissioners - District 6
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All Commission Districts
A Resolution Requesting the Administration to Establish Independent Civilian Oversite and Auditing For DeKalb County’s Digital Shield Initiatives and Surveillance Infrastructure
Body
Information Contact: Commissioner Edward C. “Ted” Terry
Phone Number: 404-371-4909
PURPOSE:
For the Board of Commission to approve a resolution requesting the Administration to establish independent civilian oversite and auditing for DeKalb County’s Digital Shield Initiatives and Surveillance Infrastructure.
NEED/IMPACT:
DeKalb County is committed to utilizing modern, innovative technology to investigate criminal activity, identify wanted suspects, and improve emergency response times to keep our communities safe. In response to community concerns and after research and review, the Administration has recently launched the Digital Shield Initiative, investing an unprecedented capital investment of over $20 million in digital surveillance infrastructure. Many constituents welcome this technology and understand that it is needed as a critical tool to assist in police investigations and at times, deter crime, however there are some who see the vulnerabilities of digital surveillance infrastructure, and voice concerns about how to balance innovation, security, and civil liberties.
This resolution proactively corelates with this technology investment to ensure that all aspects to fostering genuine neighborhood democracy where residents have a transparent, independent avenue to address concerns regarding the digital surveillance footprint in their communities and ensuring that community-police partnerships are built on a foundation of verifiable trust rather than merely broad policy statements.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Fiscal impact unknown at this time.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
To approve the resolution and authorize the chief executive officer or her designee to execute all necessary documents for implementation.