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Mount Vernon residents raise drone and surveillance concerns; council describes one-year pilot
Summary
Public commenters urged caution over proposed drone and monitoring programs; council members said the technology will be limited to public-safety uses and described a one-year trial period while calling for community input.
Council President Derrick Thompson said the meeting would allow public comment under the city’s time rules and encouraged input on safety programs. "3-minute-plus-1 public comment rule," he explained at the start of the meeting.
Imani Lawrence (virtual) and Geoff Munroe urged the council to address mounting infrastructure and surveillance issues. Council members responded that the city’s proposed monitoring and drone program is intended for crime fighting and public safety: Councilwoman Cathlin Gleason said the program "will be used for crime fighting and will not be used for federal purposes," and Council President Thompson said the drone pilot would serve safety functions — including thermal searches in fires — and "is a one year trial bases and the council can terminate if we feel it is harming our community." Pro Tempore Jaevon Boxhill asked that the city hold a community forum and noted the pilot is not permanent.
The council also flagged civil‑liberties and data-handling questions: Councilwoman Cynthia Turnquest-Jones asked for clarity on how the Police Department houses and releases surveillance data, and Gleason said she had recommended legal restrictions to keep the police from assisting in ICE actions absent criminal nexus. Boxhill asked public commenters to submit written demands so the council can follow up.
