STIR - Thermal Imaging Monocular — File 25-1604

1 Template updated 9/30/2020 SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY IMPACT REPORT Department or Division: Somerville Police Department (SPD) Compliance Officer (name and position): Captain Sean Sheehan Submitted by: Captain Sean Sheehan Date: October 21, 2025 Surveillance Technology: Thermal Imager Camera Please identify the purpose(s) of the proposed surveillance technology. Select ALL that apply by entering “X” in the left column. x Identifying and preventing threats to persons and property and preventing injury to persons or significant damage to property x Identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting criminal offenders x Gathering evidence of violations of any law in criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings x Providing information to emergency personnel Documenting and improving performance of City employees Executing financial transactions between the City and any individual engaged in a financial transaction with the City Preventing waste, fraud, and abuse of City resources Maintaining the safety and security of City employees, students, customers, and City-owned or controlled buildings and property Enforcing obligations to the City Operating vehicles for City business Analyzing and managing service delivery Communicating among City employees, with citizens, or with third parties Surveying and gathering feedback from constituents Other (Describe): If the surveillance technology is used for a purpose not listed above, does the purpose comply with the surveillance use policy? _x_ Yes ___ No

2 Template updated 9/30/2020 Complete ALL of the following items related to the proposed surveillance technology. Be as specific as possible. If an item is not applicable, enter “N/A.” Do NOT leave fields blank. 1. Information describing the surveillance technology and how it works: The FLIR Scion PTM366 25mm Manual Thermal Imaging Monocular uses a Boson thermal core to detect infrared radiation (heat) and convert it into a visible image, allowing users to see in complete darkness and through obscurants like fog or smoke. The monocular is a handheld device which can be used to scan subject areas for heat signatures. a. Authorized use – the uses that are authorized, the rules and processes required before that use, and the uses that are prohibited (10.64.b.2): All video surveillance would fall under the section of the City’s Surveillance Technology Use Policy entitled “Video Surveillance Technology, Data and Use by the Police Department”, which articulates the rules, purposes, and policy of using video surveillance equipment. The decision to deploy the monocular will be made by a Supervisor assigned to the SPD Special Response Team (SRT). The SRT will use and store the device. Among other uses, the device will be used as an aid in searching for missing children, missing elderly persons and possible suspects of crimes. b. 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 (10.64.b.9): Use of this technology falls under the guidelines established in the section of the City’s Surveillance Technology Use Policy entitled “Video Surveillance Technology, Data and Use by the Police Department”, which provides the following in regards to training- “The Chief of Police, or their designee, shall ensure that all department personnel successfully complete training which the Chief of Police deems necessary to successfully operate and monitor Video Surveillance Equipment”. 2. Information on the proposed purpose(s) for the surveillance technology (10.64.b.1): The Monocular would be used to search for missing individuals and for criminal suspects. Scenarios that may benefit from the use of the FLIR Monocular include the search for missing children, missing elderly persons or the search for possible suspects of crimes. 3. Information describing the kind of surveillance the surveillance technology is going to conduct and what surveillance data is going to be gathered (10.64.b.3): The Monocular produces a live, infrared video feed. No audio is captured by the device. a. 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 (10.64.b.4): Use of this technology falls under the section of the City’s Surveillance Technology Use Policy entitled “Video Surveillance Technology, Data and Use by the Police Department”. Only the SRT supervisor would have access to recorded data. b. Data protection – the safeguards that protect information from unauthorized access, including, but not limited to, encryption, access-control, and access-oversight mechanisms; (10.64.b.5) Data protection falls under the section of the City’s Surveillance Technology Use Policy entitled “Video Surveillance Technology, Data and Use by the Police Department”. The policy states, in section II. 4. Data Access - "City employees may only have access to Surveillance Data when such access is necessary for their official duties" II. 5. Data Protection - " No Surveillance Data shall be stored, accessed, or transmitted without proper

3 Template updated 9/30/2020 encryption, access and password controls" c. 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 (10.64.b.6): Video would be preserved for the duration of the investigation and if applicable the duration of any trial and appeal as evidence. d. Public access – if and how collected surveillance data can be accessed by members of the public, including criminal defendants (10.64.b.7): Video would be subject to discovery rules. All public records requests would be vetted through the city’s law department at the conclusion of the investigation. e. 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 (10.64.b.8): Video could be shared with other law enforcement agencies. This might occur if the receiving agency were part of the investigation; for the purpose of obtaining information from that agency in relation to our investigation; or if there were a threat to public safety, as examples. 4. The location(s) it may be deployed and when: The monocular is rarely deployed but when it is the “when and where” is unique to each investigation. They would be deployed only at the direction of an SRT supervisor who would be responsible for the operation. 5. A description of the privacy and anonymity rights affected and a mitigation plan describing how the department’s use of the equipment will be regulated to protect privacy, anonymity, and limit the risk of potential abuse: This monocular would be deployed in public areas where there is no expectation of privacy. If the monocular is deployed in a non-public space, it would be used to investigate a particular suspect and would not be used outside the particular location that is subject to that particular investigation. 6. 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): Under SPD General Order #115 entitled ‘Biased Based Policing’ the SPD expresses its commitment to preserving and respecting the Constitutional and civil rights of all the members of the community. Officers are trained annually on this policy. The SPD does not endorse, train, teach, support, or condone any type of bias, stereotyping, or racial and gender profiling by its employees. The monocular is not deployed outside of an active investigation with known suspects or missing persons. 7. An estimate of the fiscal costs for the surveillance technology, including initial purchase, personnel and other ongoing costs, and any current or potential sources of funding: The monocular was purchased with UASI funding when the department acquired the Marine Vessel. When the Marine Vessel was repurposed to another UASI agency, the monocular remained with the SPD. Somerville is a Metro Boston Homeland Security Region community and as such, the monocular is a UASI regional asset, SPD is only a custodian of the asset. There is no cost to the city for use of this technology. 8. 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: The City’s Surveillance Technology Use Policy entitled “Video Surveillance Technology, Data and Use by the

4 Template updated 9/30/2020 Police Department” would apply. a. 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 (10.64.b.10): This technology is under the direction and authorization of a superior officer supervisor from the SRT unit. The Surveillance Technology Use Policy, all SPD policies and all applicable Massachusetts laws apply. Failure to adhere to policy and misuse of this technology would result in discipline up to and including termination depending on the violations