SB614 would permit a law enforcement agency to collect and maintain information about any person’s “political, religious or social views, associations or activities” for “lawful purpose,” according to policy on officer-worn video cameras.
The Senate passed SB614 on April 18, 2023, by a vote of 18 to 10. We have assigned pluses to the nays because without reasonable suspicion or probable cause of criminal conduct, police bodycam surveillance serves no “lawful purpose.” The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly asserts the right of the people to be secure against “unreasonable searches.” There is not an exception for police bodycams, let alone facial recognition or other biometric technology. Blanket approval for their widespread use would be tantamount to a mass and warrantless form of ‘secret search’—dangerously and continually infringing on the personal privacy provisions of the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment.