'Unquestionable Discrimination': The Method a City Employs, Utilizing Fusus, to Monitor its Most Vulnerable Citizens
In the heart of Toledo, Ohio, a chilling reality unfolds for the residents of subsidized housing complexes. For more than seven hours on a given day, policemen monitor their daily routines through a network of Fusus-enabled surveillance cameras, all without their knowledge or consent. This has become the norm, with Toledo police spending an equivalent of 159 days in a single year, watching these live streams.
The constant surveillance raises innumerable questions about privacy, legal boundaries, and the impact of this surveillance on the marginalized communities that are its primary targets. The technology pioneered by Fusus allows police access to private camera feeds, granting unchecked authority over people's daily lives in low-income housing developments.
This practice isn't bases on crime data; rather, it's the result of participating entities' consent to pay for this service. These cameras, placed in playgrounds, parks, and public areas, provide round-the-clock surveillance. Even in instances with minimal reported crimes, officers frequent these areas, streaming footage for hours on end.
This disproportionate focus on low-income housing communities incites concerns about discrimination and creates a socio-political divide where surveillance becomes a means to perpetuate inequity and adversely impact the vulnerable sections of society.
Major critics argue that such a practice constitutes a "public-housing-to-prison pipeline," creating an environment of hypersurveillance that can infringe upon residents' freedom and access to housing. Housing authorities and private landlords use this surveillance footage for minor rule violations or reports of crimes to evict tenants, despite the absence of convictions.
Many residents, while welcoming the perceived sense of security, express disappointment at the minimal impact on reducing crime or enhancing police response times. Residents' safety remains a pressing issue, but the mere presence of these cameras and the absence of tangible benefits raises questions about the effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of this surveillance initiative.
The cozy relationship between the Toledo Police Department and Fusus, the surveillance tech giant, extends beyond Toledo. With the company's acquisition by police tech giant Axon, Fusus's unprecedented access to private camera feeds is made possible, contributing to its growing ubiquity in more than 150 jurisdictions across the nation.
To access private camera feeds, Fusus integrates various tools, such as automated license plate readers, drones, and object recognition algorithms. In most jurisdictions, this surveillance doesn't require a warrant or evidence of a crime being committed. In response to these concerns, Fusus promised that their officers could only tap into cameras during bonafide emergencies. However, police logs show that officers frequently access these cameras for lengthy periods when no crime has been reported.
Critics argue that this disproportionate surveillance of low-income communities is a direct result of their economic vulnerability rather than an analysis of crime data. With more than 80% of subsidized housing tenants and housing voucher recipients in Toledo being non-white, these surveillance practices are already raising questions about the socio-political landscape of the city and how it instrumentalizes surveillance for unequal purposes.
In light of these concerns, it is necessary to assess and reevaluate the widespread implementation of Fusus and similar surveillance technologies, addressing pressing issues of transparency, oversight, and community engagement. Fusus could represent the next step in the evolution of public safety, or it could be a regulatory blind spot waiting to increase mass surveillance in our communities. The choice is ours to make.
The expansion of Fusus' technology to over 150 jurisdictions across the nation raises questions about the future of privacy and the potential for widespread mass surveillance. With tech companies like Fusus and Axon integrating tools like drones and object recognition algorithms, the use of technology in policing is set to shape the tech-driven future of law enforcement.
As concern over the disproportionate surveillance of low-income communities grows, the future of surveillance technology should prioritize transparency, community engagement, and effective oversight to ensure it does not perpetuate inequity or infringe upon residents' rights in the name of public safety.
