Police Surveillance Technology: The Balance Between Privacy and Public Safety

More than 4,000 live camera feeds monitor and record activity on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With the recent additions of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) and Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras, what policies and practices have been implemented to protect an individual’s right to privacy, while allowing police the tools to effectively prevent and solve crimes?    

Sergeant Nick Perrine and Officer Drew Osterholt are both active and sworn Police Officers at the University of Illinois Police Department. They have a combined over 25 years of law enforcement experience and are currently assigned to the department’s Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST).  COAST provides educational programming, to give students, faculty and staff the tools they need to keep themselves and other safe.