12 Commonsense Safeguards
staffny.selfhosted.social
June 7, 2026
That our city officials need to adopt to protect you and your loved ones from pervasive surveillance
- Felony-based searches only Officers must list the law being violated, provide a case number, and explain the suspicion tied to a specific vehicle or plate. Limit use only to suspected felonies.
- Warrants required (few exceptions) A warrant should be required for searches. Warrant exceptions: imminent threats to life, hot pursuit of a violent suspect. All non-warrant searches should be logged and flagged.
- Prohibit facial or biometric recognition The use of technology that identifies individuals by their face, body, etc., should be prohibited.
- Prohibit pattern-of-life tracking and vehicle fingerprint Tracking or reconstructing where a vehicle has been over time without a warrant and searching for a vehicle based on bumper stickers should be prohibited.
- Strong encryption and security Data should be encrypted in transit and at rest. HSM-managed keys, secure boot, and tamper- evident logs should be required.
- Independent audits twice a year An independent, outside auditor should review 10% of searches and all no-warrant searches. Reports should be made public within 90 days.
- Transparency and consequences Violations and corrective actions should be publicly reported. Rules and penalties for misuse should be published.
- Annual Security Review An independent, cybersecurity team should review the system every year for vulnerabilities. Finding should be published within 90 days.
- Our data, our control All data should be stored in county-centered, CJIS- compliant systems. Vendors should not own, access, or sell the data.
- Delete data quickly Images and related data should be deleted within 3mins unless tied to an active investigation that meets all other rules and applicable state law.
- Limited sharing, full accountability Outside agencies wanting to access data must sign an agreement with equal or stronger standards. A monthly list of organizations that access the data and summary statistics should be published
- Local crimes, local searches Warrants should specify how far officers are allowed to search. IG post: staffny_ Feel free to print and present these safeguards to your representatives!
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