HGEA raises privacy concerns over state’s planned surveillance cameras
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii’s largest public-sector labor union is raising privacy and accountability concerns over the state Department of Law Enforcement’s plans to deploy potentially hundreds of surveillance cameras.
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DLE Director Jared Redulla said the cameras will use automated license plate recognition (ALPR) technology to check vehicles against stolen vehicle reports, missing-person cases, criminal investigations, and other public-safety alerts.
Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA) Executive Director Randy Perreira said the plan raises serious questions and is calling for full scrutiny to ensure civil liberties are protected.
“We understand the desire to use every available tool to keep our communities safe and to investigate serious crimes. But public safety and individual privacy are not mutually exclusive,” he said in a statement.
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Multiple reports of law enforcement officers misusing the cameras for personal searches have come to light nationwide. In North Carolina, for example, an officer was arrested for using a surveillance system to track her boyfriend’s ex-wife more than 30 times.
According to the Associated Press, concerns have also arisen about immigration enforcement accessing the cameras.
Redulla asserted that using ALPR tech for immigration enforcement would violate department policy and his directives, and said cameras will primarily be used to help combat agricultural crime.
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