Police Technology and Surveillance

Police technology and surveillance covers the tools officers use to watch, identify, and track people, such as cameras, license plate readers, facial recognition, and data tracking. Police departments, courts, and legislatures decide how these tools are used and limited, and the Fourth Amendment frames the privacy questions.

People usually ask what data police collect, when they need a warrant, how accurate the tools are, who can see the records, and how privacy and public safety are weighed.