Board moves to schedule public listening session on On Patrol Live-style contract amid privacy, liability concerns

The SOAR board voted in a straw poll to proceed with scheduling a public listening session on a proposed On Patrol Live‑style contract and asked staff to seek broader community input before the contract is finalized. The board also pressed for clearer contract language and a description of any review or veto process in the draft agreement.

Legal counsel Daniel (S4) said the draft contract had been reviewed but a final, signed version was not yet in the county system and that a "potential conflict" had delayed finalization while leadership compared related agreements. Debbie (S2) told the board that a prior contract "gave the On Patrol Live Company the absolute right to put on whatever they wanted," and urged that any survey or public outreach first confirm whether new contract terms address opt‑outs, BCSO review and veto rights.

Members and public commenters expressed concern about who reviews footage and the operational burden of any review process. One board member noted the practical challenge that a department already described as understaffed could be asked to "review possibly hundreds of hours of videotape" before publication. Counsel (S4) and other members said the current draft contains added provisions for review and denial of release not present in the earlier contract, but the specifics must be confirmed in the final version before the board asks for a representative community survey.

Looking ahead, members asked staff to pursue outreach options that go beyond a Facebook sample—brochures, listening sessions and other methods—to gather broader public sentiment. The board set a tentative plan to schedule a listening session and asked staff to circulate a proposal for public engagement once the draft contract is clear and staff confirm whether the contract has been signed.