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Surveillance advisory board delays vote on mobile towers, seeks ban on biometric analysis
Summary
The Vallejo Surveillance Advisory Board voted to continue consideration of a Mobile Security Towers (LVT) policy to the next meeting and directed staff to add explicit restrictions on biometric or facial-recognition use; members also pressed for clearer retention, redaction, and audit language.
The Vallejo Surveillance Advisory Board on a motion agreed to continue consideration of a proposed Mobile Security Towers (MST/LVT) Live View policy and asked the drafting subcommittee to add an explicit prohibition on biometric analysis and facial-recognition use.
Board member (mover) proposed continuing the item "until the next meeting, but also that the policy include the restriction of, the use of biometrics" and the motion was seconded and approved by roll call. The board did not adopt the policy tonight, instead directing the subcommittee to incorporate edits discussed at the meeting and return with a revised draft.
The police presenter, identified at the meeting as Captain Bautista, said the department does not share raw tower video on social media and generally does not enable facial-recognition features. "We do not share any of our videos. We have not shared any of these on social media, nor do we plan on using it for social media," Bautista said, and added that any public release of video typically requires review and redaction by staff.
Members focused on several policy gaps: data retention and vendor access, audit logging, and whether contractors could perform biometric analysis on city data. Staff and the city attorney clarified that the city owns the data under the LVT contract, that routine footage is retained for 30 days unless preserved as evidence, and that redaction is possible but resource-intensive. City counsel noted the municipality could prohibit departmental use of biometrics via policy while contract terms would govern contractor conduct.
Board members requested that the next draft include (1) an explicit prohibition on facial recognition/biometric analysis unless a warrant-authorized exception applies, (2) audit-reporting language to surface who accesses MST video and when, (3) clearer definitions for "research" and "media relations," and (4) retention and evidence-preservation language that distinguishes 30-day storage from evidence downloads.
The motion to continue passed on the board's recorded vote. The board instructed the MST ad hoc subcommittee to circulate a revised draft to the secretary for inclusion in the next meeting packet so members have adequate time to review before voting.
