ATLANTA — Mayor Andre Dickens plans to introduce legislation establishing permanent citywide standards for the use of public safety camera technology, including Flock cameras.
The legislation is aimed at strengthening Atlanta’s existing privacy, oversight and accountability standards governing license plate readers and other public safety camera technology.
“Technology that gives the government extraordinary capabilities must come with extraordinary accountability,” Dickens said.
The proposed measure would establish guidelines for who can access the systems, under what circumstances and for what authorized purposes.
It would also require monthly internal audits and public transparency. Dickens has asked Atlanta police to audit Flock searches conducted this year.
“Public safety is not a blank check, and neither is privacy an excuse to deny law enforcement tools that can help save lives and solve crimes,” Dickens said.
The proposal comes after several metro Atlanta law enforcement officers were accused of misusing the technology.
The legislation is expected to be introduced at an Atlanta City Council meeting next week.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Cheryl Castro contributed to this story.