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Residents urge Melbourne Beach to redirect money from AI beach cameras to lifeguards
Summary
During public comment, residents urged the commission to halt or review an AI camera pilot on the beach, called the system "invasive," asked for contract transparency and proposed reallocating funds to hire lifeguards instead.
Two residents used the public-comment period to urge the commission to reconsider a recently installed AI camera system on the beach and to reallocate resources to lifeguards.
A resident identifying herself as Dominique said the cameras are "invasive" and argued that the town should "stop working with this business and go back to being a community that cares about human life and not profit." She asked for copies of any documents between the town and the camera vendor, said her petition opposing the cameras had more than 150 signatures, and asserted the cameras have not saved any lives in the town's trial run.
Nicholas Perez echoed calls for transparency, noting the camera system is proprietary and asking who has access, whether the system is audited and whether simpler alternatives (for example, a switch on a buoy) might accomplish the safety function without continuous video capture.
Commissioners closed public comment and proceeded to the package presentation. The residents' comments did not result in immediate action during the special meeting, but they put transparency and privacy questions on the record for the commission to address.
