Thousands of videos recorded by surveillance cameras in Lancaster City have been voluntarily sent to the city police communications board by the citizen-run Lancaster Community Safety Coalition, that owns and operates the camera network. In a 17-month period from Jan. 2008 to May 2009, the LCSC sent a total of 8,257 videos to the police communications board, even though this board had requested only 66 videos.
The LCSC has released more videos to the City Police Department than the police had requested. In the same 17-month period, a total of 430 video reviews had been requested by the police but 458 were provided. The City report also showed that LCSC staff alerted police about questionable conduct 753 times. In one month alone (January 2008), the Emergency 911 office requested 20 videos but the LCSC gave them an additional 428 unrequested videos.
This information was revealed by Lancaster city officials upon receipt of a Right to Know letter from Renee Baumgartner, leader of Citizens Against Public Surveillance (CAPS). Ms. Baumgartner has asked City Council members, one of whom is the executive director of the LCSC, to explain why such a large number of videos are being voluntarily and routinely sent to the police communications board and emergency 911 offices.
Other citizens are asking if reviewing unrequested videos is the best use of the time of law enforcement agents. Still others are saying they believe the LCSC could turn into a civilian-run organization of police informants.
