Update (3/25/2024): Public comment period extended to April 12.
The City of Seattle is exploring new technologies to help deter and detect criminal activity in specific locations where gun violence, human trafficking, and persistent felony crime is concentrated. The group of new technologies will help the City’s public safety response to aid victims, locate and preserve evidence and hold accountable those responsible for gun violence, alert real-time crime center staff to a serious criminal event, see multiple streams of information overlaid on a map view, and convey that information to officers who are responding in the field.
The Technology Assisted Crime Prevention Pilot project is a new public safety program that will combine a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) System with an Acoustic Gunshot Location System (AGLS) integrated with Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) software together in one view.
The possible pilot areas under consideration are on Aurora Avenue North, Belltown, Chinatown-International District, and the Downtown Commercial Core.
The City of Seattle has published the draft Surveillance Impact Reports (SIR) for the group of new technologies in the Technology Assisted Crime Prevention Pilot (Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) System, Acoustic Gunshot Location System (AGLS), and Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC)), as required by the Surveillance Ordinance.
The City of Seattle is looking for the public’s input on the SIRs to listen to community feedback and ensure the City’s policies responsibly govern the use of these technologies.
The public comment period runs from February 5 to 29. There are three ways for residents to provide input:
- Residents can submit their comments on each technology online at City of Seattle Privacy website using the three survey forms:
- Seattle residents can also mail comments to Attn: Surveillance & Privacy Program, Seattle IT, PO Box 94709, Seattle, WA 98124
- Public Hearings: The City is holding two public hearings in February to allow attendees to learn more about the technologies and provide public comments. Links and times for the event dates below can be found on the events calendar on the City’s Surveillance Technologies website.
- Monday, February 12, 2024, 12– 1p.m.
- Webex Virtual Meeting with the option of providing public comments in person at the Bertha Knight Landes room in City Hall (600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104).
Join from the meeting link
https://seattle.webex.com/seattle/j.php?MTID=m9c5dde3f0c3b1a38bb207291a1f95eb0
Join by phone
+1-206-207-1700,,24956893473## United States Toll (Seattle)
+1-408-418-9388,,24956893473## United States Toll
- Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 6– 7p.m.
- The public hearing is at the Bitter Lake Community Center (13035 Linden Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133) and will also be accessible online.
- Join online using Webex: https://seattle.webex.com/seattle/j.php?MTID=m03152c11d3cb3c422a3bafef8669ac0e
- Join by phone
- +1-206-207-1700,,24939343177## United States Toll (Seattle)
- +1-408-418-9388,,24939343177## United States Toll
The public hearings will begin with a presentation about the three technologies. The public comment period will follow the presentation.
This public input period is a valuable part of our process. The City of Seattle is committed to being transparent and accountable. Hearing from residents is part of the process. We welcome your thoughts and comments and look forward to hearing them. The complete list of technologies for review can be found on the City’s Surveillance Technologies website.
Technology Assisted Crime Prevention Pilot:
Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) System: The Seattle Police Department (SPD) proposes closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera systems to help deter and detect criminal activity. The CCTV camera systems are proposed to be installed at specific locations where gun violence, human trafficking, and persistent felony crime is concentrated. The cameras will face toward the street, sidewalk, and other public areas and signs will be posted identifying their presence. Privately-owned security systems can also share video streams of public areas with SPD.
Acoustic Gunshot Location System (AGLS): The Seattle Police Department (SPD) proposes an Acoustic Gunshot Location System (AGLS) to accelerate the response capabilities of police and EMS personnel to aid victims, locate and preserve evidence and hold accountable those responsible for gun violence. AGLS utilizes microphones/sensors placed in a defined geographic area that are programmed to detect the sound of gunshots and locate and alert police to the incident.
Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC): Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) software provides a centralized location for real-time information and analysis. At its core, RTCC software integrates dispatch, camera, officer location, gunshot detection, 911 calls, records management system, and other information into one “pane of glass” (a single view). The software is used to alert real-time crime center staff to a serious criminal event, see multiple streams of information overlaid on a map view, and convey that information to officers who are responding in the field.