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During the last meeting, the Council approved a series of amendments aimed at placing stricter guardrails on how the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) could use a potential community safety camera network. The amendments were added to BL2025-690, a bill that, if passed, would modify Metro law to allow law enforcement limited access to private security cameras for crime-fighting purposes.
The bill has the backing of Nashville Police Chief John Drake and Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who argue it would improve public safety and help MNPD quickly respond to criminal activity. The ordinance was originally scheduled for debate on February 18 but was postponed due to inclement weather. It was revisited during the March 4 meeting, where council members voted to include additional restrictions on police access to camera footage.
The amendments limit the type of private cameras that MNPD could tap into, ensuring residential privacy is protected. The key provisions include:
• No live video access from donor cameras located solely on a residential property.
• No access to residential cameras showing only a home’s front door, entryway, or interior family areas. However, cameras covering parking lots, parking garages, or outdoor common areas would be permissible.
The council also approved a series of safeguards to enhance oversight and accountability in how MNPD uses the camera network:
• Use-of-force accountability: Any footage capturing an MNPD officer using excessive or unlawful force must be immediately set aside and sent to the MNPD Office of Professional Accountability and the District Attorney General.
• Strict data-sharing limits: Video footage from private cameras cannot be shared with any individual, group, or entity outside of an active criminal investigation.
• No facial recognition technology: The system cannot be used to identify individuals via facial recognition software.
• Officer documentation requirement: Every officer accessing a camera must log the date, time, circumstances, and purpose for doing so.
• Quarterly audits: A detailed audit will be conducted every three months to track each instance of camera access, its purpose, and any resulting outcomes.
• Annual reporting requirement: By September 1 each year, MNPD must report to the Metro Council and publish online the number of cameras registered in the network.
With these new amendments in place, Russ believes the council has established clear boundaries for how law enforcement can use private camera networks—if the bill ultimately passes.
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