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Council approves park camera upgrades; members, residents call for privacy review
Summary
Council approved $258,324 for cameras and access-control upgrades for parks and Scarborough Stadium while councilmembers and residents raised constitutional and privacy concerns about public-space camera programs.
The council approved spending of $258,324.30 (plus $38,748.70 in project expenses) to install security cameras and access-control systems for Parks and Recreation facilities, including upgrades at Scarborough Stadium and Beal Park.
George Eskander, the city’s chief information officer (speaker 24), said the project includes replacement of an aging access control system and additional cameras at concession stands and restrooms. "Parks have access to all their parks as well as IT has access to all the cameras," Eskander said, and police may request footage that IT would export. He added that not all cameras will be actively monitored but would be available for incident investigation.
Council and public questions focused on privacy and constitutional issues related to public‑space surveillance tools such as license‑plate readers and commercial products like Flock. The mayor said he will continue to investigate constitutional implications for cameras in public spaces; Council members agreed that monitoring city facilities is distinct from monitoring general public streets. The council voted unanimously to approve the purchase while several members said they want additional review of the program's oversight and policy safeguards.
