Columbus Police Camera Portal Under Scrutiny | Columbus News

Columbus police just launched a new online portal revealing how their Flock license plate readers work — showing data retention, camera activity, search volumes, and data-sharing partners — all in the name of transparency. The tech has been a game-changer for investigations, credited with helping solve 60% of homicide cases last year. But controversy flared when an audit of nearly 20 million records flagged 15,000 potential immigration-related searches — including 20 that couldn’t be ruled out. Despite police chief’s insistence they don’t enforce immigration, the mayor intervened, ordering an end to statewide data sharing and reinforcing the city’s ban on using city resources for civil immigration enforcement. Local agencies may still get case-by-case access for crime investigations, and city council will hold a public meeting on August 10th to discuss the program’s future. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/abb4e1cf3a08b11f