Matters ▸ Attachment
20190117-SomervilleSurveillanceOrdinance-v4 — File 207364
Chapter X.X Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology Ordinance
2019 Jan 17 - Draft v4
Section 1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this Chapter is to replace Somerville’s Executive Order of October 4,
2017 entitled “Executive Policy on Surveillance Technology,” and to provide for formal
public oversight of Surveillance Technology acquisition or use by the City of Somerville
or the use of the Surveillance Data it provides. The provisions herein safeguard the right
of individuals to privacy, balance the public’s right to privacy with the need to promote
and ensure safety and security, provide protocols for use of Surveillance Technology or
Surveillance Data that include specific steps to mitigate potential impacts on the civil
rights and liberties of any individuals, communities or groups including communities of
color or other marginalized communities in the City, to balance any decision to use
Surveillance Technology with an assessment of the costs and protection of privacy, civil
liberties and civil rights, to allow for informed public discussion before deploying
Surveillance Technology, to provide for transparency, oversight, and accountability, and
to minimize the risks posed by use of Surveillance Technology in the City.
Section 1.2. Definitions
The following definitions apply to this Chapter:
(A)
“Annual Surveillance Report” means a written report submitted by
the Mayor’s Office on an annual basis concerning specific Surveillance
Technology used by any City department during the previous year and
containing the information set forth in 1.6(B) of this Chapter.
(B)
“Exigent Circumstances” means the Police Chief’s or the Police
Chief’s designee’s good faith and reasonable belief that an emergency
involving danger of death, physical injury, or significant property
damage or loss, similar to those that would render impracticable to
obtain a warrant, requires use of the Surveillance Technology or the
Surveillance Data it provides; provided that it was not foreseeable that
the Police Chief or the Police Chief’s designee’s actions would create
the exigency, even if their conduct was lawful. The use of Surveillance
Technology in Exigent Circumstances shall not infringe upon an
individual’s right to peacefully protest and exercise other lawful and
protected Constitutional Rights.
(C)
“Identifiable Individuals” means an individual whose identity can be
revealed by data, including Surveillance Data, or revealed by data
when it is analyzed and/or combined with any other type of record.
(D)
“Surveillance” means the act of observing or analyzing the
movements, behavior, or actions of Identifiable Individuals.
(E)
“Surveillance Data” means any electronic data collected, captured,
recorded, retained, processed, intercepted, or analyzed by
Surveillance Technology acquired by the City or operated at the
direction of the City.
(F)
“Surveillance Technology” means any electronic surveillance
device, hardware, or software that is capable of collecting, capturing,
recording, retaining, processing, intercepting, analyzing, monitoring, or
sharing audio, visual, digital, location, thermal, biometric, or similar
information specifically associated with, or capable of being associated
with, any Identifiable Individual or group; or any system, device, or
vehicle that is equipped with an electronic surveillance device,
hardware, or software.
1. “Surveillance Technology” includes, but is not limited to:
(a) International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“IMSI”) catchers and other cell
site simulators;
(b) Automatic license plate readers;
(c) Electronic toll readers;
(d) Closed-circuit television cameras except as otherwise provided herein;
(e) Biometric Surveillance Technology, including facial, voice, iris, and
gait-recognition software and databases;
(f) Mobile DNA capture technology;
(g) Gunshot detection and location hardware and services;
(h) X-ray vans;
(i) Video and audio monitoring and/or recording technology, such as
surveillance cameras and wearable body cameras;
(j) Surveillance enabled or capable lightbulbs or light fixtures;
(k) Tools, including software and hardware, used to gain unauthorized
access to a computer, computer service, or computer network;
(l) Social media monitoring software;
(m) Through-the-wall radar or similar imaging technology;
(n) Passive scanners of radio networks;
(o) Long-range Bluetooth and other wireless-scanning devices;
(p) Thermal imaging or “Forward Looking Infrared” devices or cameras;
(q) Radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanners; and
(r) Software designed to integrate or analyze data from Surveillance
Technology, including surveillance target tracking and predictive
policing software.
2. For the purposes of this Chapter, “Surveillance Technology” does not
include the following devices or hardware, unless they have been
equipped with, or are modified to become or include, a Surveillance
Technology as defined above:
a) Routine office hardware, such as televisions, computers, and printers,
that are in widespread public use and will not be used for any
surveillance or surveillance-related functions;
b) Parking Ticket Devices (“PTDs”) and related databases.
c) Manually-operated, non-wearable, handheld digital cameras, audio
recorders, and video recorders that are not designed to be used
surreptitiously and whose functionality is used for manually capturing
and manually downloading video and/or audio recordings;
d) Surveillance devices that cannot record or transmit audio or video or
be remotely accessed, such as image stabilizing binoculars or night
vision goggles;
e) City databases that do not and will not contain any Surveillance Data
or other information collected, captured, recorded, retained, processed,
intercepted, or analyzed by Surveillance Technology;
f) Manually-operated technological devices that are used primarily for
internal City communications and are not designed to surreptitiously
collect Surveillance Data, such as radios and email systems;
g) Parking access and revenue control systems, including proximity card
readers and transponder readers at City- owned or controlled parking
garages; and
h) Card readers and key fobs used by City employees and other
authorized persons for access to City- owned or controlled buildings
and property.
. (H) “Surveillance Technology Impact Report” means a written report submitted by
the Mayor’s Office with a request for approval of acquisition or use of
Surveillance Technology, and which includes, at a minimum, the requirements
set forth in Subsection 1.3(C).
. (I) “Surveillance Use Policy” means a policy for the City’s use of Surveillance
Technology, approved by the City Solicitor and the Mayor’s Office, and submitted
by the Mayor’s Office to and approved by the City Council. The Surveillance Use
Policy shall at a minimum satisfy the requirements set forth in Subsection 1.5(B).
. (J) “Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy” means a policy governing the
City’s use of a specific Surveillance Technology not already covered under the
City’s Surveillance Use Policy, approved by the City Solicitor and the Mayor, and
submitted by the Mayor to the City Council with a Surveillance Technology
Impact Report under Section 1.3(A), 1.3(B), or 1.4 of this Chapter.
Section 1.3 Submission to the City Council of Surveillance Technology Impact
Report and Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy
The Mayor’s Office must seek approval from the City Council as set forth in this Section
prior to the City seeking funds for, acquiring, using or entering into an agreement to
acquire, share or otherwise use, Surveillance Technology as defined in this Chapter.
(A) Acquisition of Surveillance Technology by City Departments Other than
the Police Department. For any department other than the Police Department,
for which approval under Section 1.3 of this Chapter is sought, the Mayor's
Office must submit to the City Council a Surveillance Technology Impact Report,
and, if necessary, a Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy pertaining to
the specific Surveillance Technology for which approval is sought and obtain
City Council approval before doing any of the following:
(1) Seeking funds for Surveillance Technology, including but not limited to,
applying for a grant, or accepting state or federal funds, or in-kind or other
donations;
(2) Acquiring new Surveillance Technology, including but not limited to
procuring that Surveillance Technology without the exchange of monies or
other consideration;
(3) Using Surveillance Technology for a purpose, in a manner, or in a location
not previously approved; or
(4) Entering into an agreement with a non-City entity to acquire, share, or
otherwise use Surveillance Technology or the Surveillance Data it provides.
(B) Acquisition of Surveillance Technology by the Police Department. Other
than with respect to Surveillance Technology limited to use in Exigent
Circumstances in law enforcement investigations and prosecutions as
specifically defined in Section 1.4 of this Chapter, the Mayor’s Office must
submit a Surveillance Technology Impact Report, and, if necessary, a
Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy pertaining to the specific
Surveillance Technology for which approval is sought to the City Council and
obtain City Council approval, before the Police Department does any of the
following:
(1) Seeking funds for Surveillance Technology, including but not limited to,
applying for a grant, or accepting state or federal funds, or in-kind or other
donations;
(2) Acquiring new Surveillance Technology, including but not limited to
procuring that technology without the exchange of monies or other
consideration;
(3) Using Surveillance Technology for a purpose, in a manner, or in a location
not previously approved; or
(4) Entering into an agreement with a non-City entity to acquire, share, or
otherwise use Surveillance Technology.
(C) Contents of Surveillance Technology Impact Report. A Surveillance
Technology Impact Report submitted pursuant to Subsections (A) or (B) above
shall include all of the following:
(1) Information describing the Surveillance Technology and how it works;
(2) Information on the proposed purpose(s) for the Surveillance Technology;
(3) Information describing the kind of surveillance the Surveillance
Technology is going to conduct and what Surveillance Data is going to be
gathered;
(4) The location(s) it may be deployed and when;
(5) The potential impact(s) on privacy in the City; the potential impact on the
civil rights and liberties of any individuals, communities or groups,
including, but not limited to, communities of color or other marginalized
communities in the City, and a description of whether there is a plan to
address the impact(s);
(6) The fiscal costs for the Surveillance Technology, including initial purchase,
personnel and other ongoing costs, and any current or potential sources
of funding; and
(7) An explanation of how the Surveillance Use Policy will apply to this
Surveillance Technology and, if it is not applicable, a Technology-Specific
Surveillance Use Policy.
(D) Contents of Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy. A Technology
Specific Surveillance Use Policy submitted under Subsections (A) or (B) above or
Section 1.4 below shall not conflict with any provision of the City’s Surveillance
Use Policy. To the extent a conflict arises between the provisions of the City’s
Surveillance Use Policy and a Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy, the
City’s Surveillance Use Policy shall govern. A Technology-Specific Surveillance
Use Policy submitted under Subsections (A) or (B) above or Section 1.4 below
shall include all of the following:
(1) Purpose: The specific purpose(s) for the Surveillance Technology;
(2) Authorized Use: The uses that are authorized, the rules and processes
required before that use, and the uses that are prohibited;
(3) Data Collection: The Surveillance Data that can be collected by the
Surveillance Technology;
(4) Data Access: The individuals who can access or use the collected
Surveillance Data, and the rules and processes required before access or
use of the information;
(5) Data Retention: The time period, if any, for which information collected by
the Surveillance Technology will be routinely retained, the reason that
retention period is appropriate to further the purpose(s), the process by
which the information is regularly deleted after that period has elapsed,
and the conditions that must be met to retain information beyond that
period;
(6) Public Access: If and how collected Surveillance Data can be accessed by
members of the public, including criminal defendants;
(7) Third-Party Data-Sharing: If and how other City or non-City entities can
access or use the Surveillance Data, including any required justification
and legal standard necessary to do so, and any obligation(s) imposed on
the recipient of the Surveillance Data;
(8) Training: The training, if any, required for any individual authorized to use
the Surveillance Technology or to access information collected by the
Surveillance Technology, including whether there are training materials;
and
(9) Oversight: The mechanisms to ensure that the Surveillance Use Policy is
followed, including, but not limited to, identifying personnel assigned to
ensure compliance with the policy, internal record keeping of the use of
the technology or access to information collected by the Surveillance
Technology, technical measures to monitor for misuse, any independent
person or entity with oversight authority, and the sanctions for violations of
the policy.
(E) In approving, and/or disapproving any acquisition of Surveillance Technology,
the City Council shall consider the safeguarding of individuals’ right to privacy as
well as the investigative and prosecutorial functions of the Police Department and
promoting and ensuring the safety and security of the general public.
(F) Any Surveillance Technology Impact Report, and, if necessary, Technology-
Specific Surveillance Use Policy submitted to the City Council under Section
1.3(A) or 1.3(B) shall be made publicly available no fewer than seven (7)
calendar days prior to the date of the Council meeting where it shall be discussed.
Section 1.4 Temporary Acquisition and Use of Surveillance Technology in Exigent
Circumstances
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Chapter, the Police Department may temporarily
acquire or temporarily use Surveillance Technology in Exigent Circumstances for a
period not to exceed 90 days without following the provisions of this Chapter before that
acquisition or use. However, if the Police Department acquires or uses Surveillance
Technology in Exigent Circumstances under this Section, the Police Chief must (1)
report that acquisition or use to the City Council in writing within 90 days following the
end of those Exigent Circumstances; (2) submit a Surveillance Technology Impact
Report, and, if necessary, a Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy to the City
Council regarding that Surveillance Technology within 90 days following the end of
those Exigent Circumstances; and (3) include that Surveillance Technology in the Police
Department's next Annual Surveillance Report to the City Council following the end of
those Exigent Circumstances. If the Police Commissioner is unable to meet the 90-day
timeline to submit a Surveillance Technology Impact Report, and, if necessary, a
Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy to the City Council, the Police
Commissioner may notify the City Council in writing requesting to extend this period.
The City Council may grant extensions beyond the original 90-day timeline to submit a
Surveillance Technology Impact Report, and, if necessary, a Technology-Specific
Surveillance Use Policy. Any Surveillance Technology Impact Report, and, if necessary,
Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy submitted to the City Council under this
Section shall be made publicly available no fewer than seven (7) calendar days prior to
the date of the Council meeting where it shall be discussed.
Section 1.5 Submission to the City Council of Surveillance Use Policy
(A) The Mayor shall submit to the City Council for its review and approval a
proposed Surveillance Use Policy applicable to each City department that
possesses or uses Surveillance Technology before the effective date of this
Chapter or for future use and acquisition of Surveillance Technology, no later
than one-hundred eighty (180) days following the effective date of this Chapter,
for review and approval by the City Council. If the Mayor is unable to meet this
180-day timeline, the Mayor may notify the City Council in writing requesting to
extend this period. The City Council may grant an extension to the Mayor to
submit a proposed Surveillance Use Policy. Any Surveillance Use Policy
submitted under Section 1.5 shall be made publicly available no fewer than
seven (7) calendar days prior to the date of the Council meeting where it shall
be discussed.
(B) A Surveillance Use Policy shall at a minimum specify the following:
(1) Purpose: The specific purpose(s) for the Surveillance Technology;
(2) Authorized Use: The uses that are authorized, the rules and
processes required before that use, and the uses that are
prohibited;
(3) Data Collection: The Surveillance Data that can be collected by the
Surveillance Technology;
(4) Data Access: The individuals who can access or use the collected
Surveillance Data, and the rules and processes required before
access or use of the information;
(5) Data Protection: The safeguards that protect information from
unauthorized access, including, but not limited to, encryption,
access-control, and access-oversight mechanisms;
(6) Data Retention: The time period, if any, for which information
collected by the Surveillance Technology will be routinely retained,
the reason that retention period is appropriate to further the
purpose(s), the process by which the information is regularly
deleted after that period has elapsed, and the conditions that must
be met to retain information beyond that period;
(7) Public Access: If and how collected Surveillance Data can be
accessed by members of the public, including criminal defendants;
(8) Third-Party Data-Sharing: If and how other City or non-City entities
can access or use the Surveillance Data, including any required
justification and legal standard necessary to do so, and any
obligation(s) imposed on the recipient of the Surveillance Data;
(9) Training: The training, if any, required for any individual authorized
to use the Surveillance Technology or to access information
collected by the Surveillance Technology, including whether there
are training materials; and
(10)
Oversight: The mechanisms to ensure that the Surveillance
Use Policy is followed, including, but not limited to, identifying
personnel assigned to ensure compliance with the policy, internal
record keeping of the use of the technology or access to
information collected by the Surveillance Technology, technical
measures to monitor for misuse, any independent person or entity
with oversight authority, and the sanctions for violations of the
policy.
(C) In considering the Surveillance Use Policy, the City Council shall balance the
safeguarding of individuals’ right to privacy as well as the investigative and prosecutorial
function of the Police Department and promoting and ensuring the safety and security of
the general public.
(D) Once enacted, the Surveillance Use Policy shall override Somerville’s Executive
Order of October 4, 2017 entitled “Executive Policy on Surveillance Technology.
Section 1.6 Submission to the City Council of Annual Surveillance Report
. (A) Within twelve (12) months of City Council approval, and annually thereafter on or
before March 1, the Mayor must submit an Annual Surveillance Report pertaining
to each City department for which approval for the use of Surveillance
Technology or Surveillance Data has been obtained under Section 1.3 or Section
1.4 of this Chapter. Any Annual Surveillance Report submitted under this section
shall be made publicly available no fewer than seven (7) calendar days prior to
the date of the Council meeting where it shall be discussed.
. (B) The Annual Surveillance Report submitted pursuant to this Section shall include
all of the following:
(1) A description of how the Surveillance Technology has been used, including
whether it captured images, sound, or information regarding members of the
public who are not suspected of engaging in unlawful conduct;
(2) Whether and how often data acquired through the use of the Surveillance
Technology was shared by outside entities, the name of any recipient entity, the
type(s) of data disclosed, under what legal standard(s) the information was
disclosed, and the justification for the disclosure;
(3) A summary of community complaints or concerns about the Surveillance
Technology, if any;
(4) The results of any non-privileged internal audits, any information about violations
of the Surveillance Use Policy, and any actions taken in response;
(5) Whether the Surveillance Technology has been effective at achieving its
identified purpose;
(6) Statistics on public records requests received by the City seeking documents
concerning Surveillance Technology approved during the previous year;
(7) Total annual costs for the Surveillance Technology, including personnel and
other ongoing costs, and what source of funding will fund the technology in the
coming year; and
(8) Whether the civil rights and liberties of any communities or groups, including
communities of color or other marginalized communities in the City are
disproportionately impacted by the deployment of the Surveillance Technology.
(C) Based upon information provided in the Annual Surveillance Report, the City
Council shall determine whether the benefits to the impacted City department(s) and the
community of the Surveillance Technology outweigh the financial and operational costs
and whether reasonable safeguards exist to address reasonable concerns regarding
privacy, civil liberties, and civil rights impacted by deployment of the Surveillance
Technology. If the benefits or reasonably anticipated benefits do not outweigh the
financial and/or operational costs or civil liberties or civil rights are not reasonably
safeguarded, the City Council may (1) recommend modifications to the Surveillance
Use Policy that are designed to address the City Council's concerns to the Mayor for his
consideration; and/or (2) request a report back from the Mayor regarding steps taken to
address the City Council's concerns; and/or (3) disapprove further use of the
Surveillance Technology.
(D) No later than May 31 of each year, the City Council shall hold a meeting to discuss
the City departments’ Annual Surveillance Reports, and shall publicly release a report
that includes a summary of all requests for approval of Surveillance Technology Impact
Reports received by the City Council during the prior year pursuant to Section 1.3 or
Section 1.4 of this Chapter, including whether the City Council approved, disapproved,
or required modifications to the Surveillance Technology Impact Report.
Section 1.7 Exemptions and Exceptions
. (A) Exemptions. For the purposes of this Chapter, the following Surveillance
Technology is exempt from the requirements of this Chapter:
(1) Surveillance Data acquired where the individual knowingly and voluntarily
consented to provide the information, such as submitting personal
information for the receipt of City services;
(2) Surveillance Data acquired where the individual was presented with a clear
and conspicuous opportunity to opt out of providing the information;
(3) Cameras installed pursuant to state law authorization in or on any vehicle
or along a public right-of-way solely to record traffic violations, provided
that the Surveillance Data gathered is used only for that purpose;
(4) Cameras installed on City property solely for security purposes, including
closed circuit television cameras installed by the City to monitor entryways
and outdoor areas of City-owned or controlled buildings and property for
the purpose of controlling access, maintaining the safety of City
employees and visitors to City buildings, and protecting City property;
(5) Security cameras including closed circuit television cameras installed by
the City to monitor cashiers’ windows and other cash-handling operations
and to maintain the safety of City employees and visitors to such areas;
(6) Cameras installed solely to protect the physical integrity of City
infrastructure; or
(7) Technology that monitors only City employees in response to complaints of
wrongdoing or in order to prevent waste, fraud, or abuse of City resources.
. (B) Exceptions. The following situations constitute Surveillance, but are exceptions
to the requirements of this Chapter:
(1) Surveillance conducted pursuant to a warrant issued by a judge under probable
cause using previously approved Surveillance Technology. Surveillance conducted
pursuant to a warrant using previously approved Surveillance Technology is excepted
from the requirements of 1.3(B) and 1.6 where: i) the City is prohibited from publicly
releasing information pertaining to the surveillance under federal or state law, or
pursuant to a Court Order; or ii) the Police Chief has determined that the release of
information pertaining to the surveillance would compromise public safety and security,
provided that the information is released in the next Annual Surveillance Report
following the Police Commissioner’s determination that public safety and security
concerns pertaining to the release of such information no longer exist.
(2) A City department head may, with the approval of the Mayor’s Office, apply a
technical patch or upgrade that is necessary to mitigate threats to the City’s
environment. The department shall not use the new surveillance capabilities of the
technology until the requirements of Section 1.3 are met, unless the Mayor’s Office
determines that the use is unavoidable; in that case, the Mayor shall request City
Council approval as soon as possible. The request shall include a report to the City
Council of how the altered surveillance capabilities were used since the time of the
upgrade.
Section 1.8 Enforcement
. (A) Enforcement Officials. This Chapter shall be enforced by the Mayor’s Office or the
Mayor’s designee.
. (B) Violation. Any person injured by a violation of this Chapter may institute
proceedings for injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or a court order in a court of
competent jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this Chapter. Any action
initiated under this Subsection (B) shall be brought against the City of Somerville,
but not against City employees. No monetary damages shall be allowed in any
legal proceeding for any alleged injuries arising out of any alleged violation(s) of
this Chapter.
. (C) Whistleblower Protections. Subject to the limitations and requirements set forth in
G. L. c. 149, §185 (the “Massachusetts Whistleblower Statute” or “Section 185”)
as it may be amended from time to time, any City employee as defined in Section
185 who reports an alleged violation of this Ordinance, shall be afforded
protections against retaliation if applicable pursuant to Section 185, as set forth in
and subject to the limitations and requirements of Section 185.
. (D) Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to limit or affect any individual’s rights
under state or federal laws.
Section 1.9 Severability
The provisions in this Chapter are severable. If any part or provision of this Chapter, or
the application of this Chapter to any person or circumstance, is held invalid by a court
of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Chapter shall not be affected by such
holding and shall continue to have full force and effect.
Section 1.10 Effective Date
This Chapter shall take effect nine months after its adoption.