A proposed bill to create the Community Advisory Commission on Surveillance in Baltimore was effectively killed by a city council committee on Wednesday. The bill, which had been in the works for over a year, aimed to provide oversight on the city’s surveillance technology. District 8 Councilman Kristerfer Burnett, the bill’s sponsor, wanted more transparency and guidelines on the city’s surveillance network.
The proposed commission would have consisted of 11 members with varying backgrounds and would have created guidelines for the city’s surveillance technologies. However, concerns were raised by different city agencies, particularly the Baltimore Police Department, regarding the bill’s lack of focus on the forensics side of surveillance use and the collection of demographic data on individuals.
During a hearing, Burnett introduced amendments to address these concerns, but the committee ultimately failed to support the bill by a vote of 3-2, falling short of the four votes needed for a favorable report. Burnett expressed disappointment at the committee’s decision, stating that it goes against the will of the citizenry to protect civil rights.
While the bill could still be presented to the full city council, it is unlikely to pass without a favorable report from the committee. The fate of the bill remains uncertain, leaving the future of surveillance oversight in Baltimore in question.
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