Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bonner County commissioners table sheriff’s mobile app purchase after privacy questions
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners tabled a proposed one-year agreement for the Idaho Sheriff Connect mobile app, asking the sheriff to obtain written information from the developer about what personal data the app collects and who would hold liability in a data breach.
Bonner County commissioners on Thursday paused a planned one-year agreement for the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office to use the Idaho Sheriff Connect mobile app, asking the sheriff to return with written assurances from the software developer about personal-data handling.
Sheriff Darryl Wheeler described the proposed contract as a one-year, renewable agreement for $8,467.25, with the cost to be divided among the sheriff’s office, jail, marine division and dispatch. “This app is a read-only app,” Wheeler said, describing features the county would use: the ability to push timely field updates such as fires or accidents, jail inmate lists and charges, a Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) sign-up link and an anonymous tip feature.
Why it matters: multiple residents raised privacy and data-security concerns during public comment, and at least one commissioner said the materials the county had on the app did not answer those questions. Commissioner Cohen urged the board to obtain documentation from the developer showing whether the vendor or any third party receives or sells end-user data and who would be liable in a breach. The board then voted to table the item and request written answers from the vendor before taking a final vote.
Residents who spoke included Wayne Martin, who said he had reviewed the program and supported it, and Robert Frank, who asked whether the app would be limited to Bonner County alerts. “Anybody who has a smartphone can sign up for that app, and it will pertain to only, issues that are happening in Bonner County,” Wheeler replied. Other attendees, including Richard Minor and Jim Lady, asked whether the county had reviewed the contract language around data collection and whether personal data could be sold.
During deliberations a commissioner summarized the board’s shared concern: the information provided in the packet did not clearly explain what end-user personal data the developer might collect or whether any data would be shared externally. The sheriff agreed to seek the requested information and return the item to a future meeting. The board’s motion to table the agreement passed by roll call.
The item will return to a future agenda after the sheriff obtains written documentation from the developer clarifying data-collection practices and breach liability.
