City issues inaugural report on surveillance

City issues inaugural report on surveillance

Published on April 24, 2024

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - An inaugural report on City surveillance activities found no adverse impacts on the public's 1^st, 4^th or 14^th Amendment rights by any department's use of surveillance. Brandon Davis, interim managing director of the Office of Oversight & Public Accountability and Office of Equity & Engagement, presented the findings Tuesday to the Grand Rapids City Commission's Public Safety Committee.

The first report, spanning January 3, 2022 to June 30, 2023, examines the City's use of surveillance equipment and surveillance services. The report contains all surveillance that falls within the scope of Grand Rapids Administrative Policy 15-03. It details department use of surveillance and non-surveillance equipment. It also summarizes the surveillance impact on civil rights and liberties during the reporting period.

Summary of findings showed:

• No discriminatory, disparate, or other adverse impact on the public's 1st or 14th Amendment rights by any department's use of surveillance.
• No discriminatory, disparate, or other adverse impact on the public's 4th Amendment rights by the Grand Rapids Fire Department (GRFD).
• Data from Mobile GR's Automated License Plate Recognition System used in the City's Residential Parking Permit Zones and Pay-by-Plate areas was unrecoverable, and therefore, could not be analyzed.

"While much work remains, this report is a meaningful stride toward our goal of organizational excellence," Davis stated at the Public Safety Committee. "Transparency and accountability are essential for any organization setting its sights on excellence. This report affords the community an opportunity to remove the veil and peer into the City's use of surveillance equipment and surveillance services as part of our commitment to accountability."

In the report, OPA identified City uses of non-surveillance. Those instances included:

• The City Clerk's Office's use of video monitoring for absentee ballot drop boxes as required by Michigan law.
• The City Treasurer's Office's use of security cameras to detect cashier errors.
• Mobile GR's use of intersection cameras to monitor real time traffic patterns installed to monitor and protect the physical integrity of City owned real property and infrastructure.
• The Grand Rapids Police Department's (GRPD) use of an automated license plate recognition system, implemented prior to and thus not covered by the City's surveillance policy.

During the information gathering period, OPA found the following in uses of surveillance by the following departments:

Grand Rapids Fire Department - Drone Program

• No complaints for misuse or overuse of GRFD's surveillance.
• No drone deployments subject to a warrant or non-warrant form of court authorization.
• 361 total drone flights - 345 training flights, 11 incident flights, 5 flights to assist neighboring communities
• During the reporting period, GRFD spent $2,376.00 to operate, maintain, and deploy the Autel Drone.

Grand Rapids Police Department - Body-Worn Cameras (BWC)

• No complaints for misuse or overuse of GRPD's surveillance.
• Three instances of alleged or actual failure to activate a Body-Worn Camera.
• Failure to activate BWC during the arrest of a 56-year-old, white male, in the City's Second Ward.
• Deactivated BWC during an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a 26-year-old, black male, Congolese refugee in the City's Third Ward.
• Failure to re-activate BWC during the arrest of a 54-year-old, black male, in the City's First Ward.
• During the reporting period, GRPD spent $1,045,131.27 and OPA spent $913,435.16 on BWCs.

Grand Rapids Mobile GR Department - Automated License Plate Recognition System (ALPRS)

• Mobile GR could not produce the surveillance data due to format and configuration issues with its software vendor. Issue has since been fixed and will be available in next year's report. OPA determined that Mobile GR's failure to produce its surveillance data was unintentional.
• No complaints for misuse or overuse of Mobile GR's surveillance.
• No surveillance subject to a warrant or non-warrant form of court authorization.
• During the reporting period, GRPD spent Mobile GR spent $208,012.02 for its ALPRS.

Davis concluded his presentation thanking his OPA team and City colleagues for being forthright with its inquiries to draft the inaugural report.

"I firmly believe that transparency and accountability are fostered in an environment where interdepartmental collaboration flows freely; stakeholder voices are elevated; and leadership regularly dialogues with the community on key decisions that will impact the day-to-day lives of citizens. With the issuance of this report, the City has taken another step towards and demonstrated its commitment to those values contained in our strategic priorities," he said.

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