LAKELAND, Fla. — New security cameras in downtown Lakeland are raising concerns about privacy.
The Lakeland Downtown Development Authority has begun installing 13 new security cameras on streets, sidewalks, and alleyways.
"I’m really happy that the cameras are here. It gives us eyes to see what's going on,” said Nikki Hunt, owner of Scout and Tag.
Business owners like Hunt said the cameras are a welcome addition to help curb crime in Lakeland's growing downtown.
“We do have people that are constantly offenders and [need] to be able to identify them,” said Hunt.
The executive director of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) told ABC Action News in February, that LDDA will be monitoring the cameras in real time. Business owners will have access to the footage for up to 30 days.
“Of course our staff, our Clean and Safe team, will have access to the cameras. Lakeland Police Department and parking services, if they would like access to those cameras, they will be given access as well,” said Julie Townsend, Executive Director of LDDA.
It has since been revealed that the cameras also include facial recognition technology.
“Attaching facial recognition technology to a network of surveillance cameras, to be able to identify and track people in real time is such a dangerous power to give our government in a free society,” said Nate Freed Wessler, ACLU Speech Privacy and Technology Project Deputy Director.
Wessler said cities across the country have rejected facial recognition cameras because they violate privacy rights.
“Instantaneous tracking of people as they go about their lives and happen to walk past a surveillance video, that’s really a chilling power and they should shut it down right now,” he said.
LDDA has stated that people should expect to be surveilled in public spaces.
The ACLU plans to investigate the issue.
