ABC6 On Your Side reported that the revised Columbus Division of Police Directive 11.08, "Sensor Technologies," sets requirements for accessing, using, storing and auditing data from surveillance tools. The directive is scheduled to take effect Sept. 30.
What does the directive require before a stop?
Officers cannot stop or detain someone solely because a license plate reader generates an alert. They must verify that the vehicle matches the alert and have an independent, lawful reason for the stop.
To add a plate to a police hotlist, an officer needs reasonable suspicion that the vehicle is tied to a criminal offense or an exigent public safety situation. A supervisor has to approve it. Plates come off the list once the vehicle is no longer sought for a law enforcement purpose.
How long is the data kept?
The directive sets a different retention period for each type of sensor data:
- Neighborhood safety camera footage: generally 14 days
- License plate reader data: seven days
- Gunshot detection data: indefinitely
- Third-party camera feeds: set by the owner and system
Data identified as evidence in an investigation can be kept longer.
What is banned or limited?
Officers are prohibited from using the technology to gather information solely on First Amendment-protected activity. They cannot target people based only on race, religion, political affiliation, nationality or sexual orientation, and they cannot use it to harass or intimidate anyone.
The directive restricts using the technology to detect or apprehend people based on suspected immigration status. The exceptions are a judicial warrant, a reported criminal violation, or an arrest. Officers may generally monitor only areas where people have no expectation of privacy, unless exigent circumstances exist or a warrant has been obtained. Neighborhood cameras must have privacy blocks so officers cannot view inside private homes.
Who can access the data, and how is it audited?
Officers must use Division-owned devices and complete specific training before they get access. Access is limited to authorized personnel, including sworn officers and certain analysts and civilian employees.
Every query must record the date, time, user and reason. The Technical Services Section lieutenant has to audit license plate reader use every other month and conduct an annual review of the findings.
How does this relate to the Flock suspension?
ABC6 reports that Columbus officials announced on Sept. 3 that the city was suspending its use of Flock cameras. That followed a suspected misuse of the technology by a Columbus police officer.
The new directive covers more than license plate readers. It also applies to city-owned neighborhood cameras, mobile trailer cameras, gunshot detection systems and third-party camera feeds.
What changes for drivers in Columbus?
The directive limits how Columbus police can use the cameras and the data they collect. ABC6 does not say how many license plate readers Columbus operates or where they are. You can check what is mapped on the camera map, and how plate readers work covers the basics.
ABC6 does not say which third-party camera feeds the division uses, or whether the Sept. 3 suspension of Flock cameras will last.
What happens next?
The directive takes effect Sept. 30.