An unexpected proposal is making its way in Saline County that could represent a possible privacy issue.
The Saline County Public Works and Safety Committee had a meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 6:30 P.M. in Courtroom #3 to discuss bringing police cameras to watch traffic in the county. The technology would be controlled by the Sherriff’s office. Some of Arkansas’ biggest cities like Benton and Bryant are in Saline County.
Surveillance Cameras Coming to Arkansas’ Big Cities?
In an agenda announcement discussing the Public Works meeting, it included a proposal to have taxpayers pay for spy cameras that would be used to monitor citizens:
“The Sheriff’s Department needs to purchase a group of cameras related to traffic control and the related software, the Sheriff requests to transfer line items in the Sheriff’s 10% Retention Fund.”
The spy equipment was buried in a long list of items of proposals for the county.
A Statewide Development
Saline County is not the only county rolling out privacy hurting technology.
We reported earlier in the year that cameras were being rolled out in other areas too. An official for the Department of Transportation assured the public that it would never be used to target citizens:
“The intent of this was never to write a bunch of citations, that doesn’t get us anywhere. We get that we’ve got to get awareness out there. The speed enforcement cameras are just another way of doing that, and driving home that message: To slow down when you get into those construction zones and be more aware.”
However, in Saline County, the technology rollout proposal is still in its infancy and may not be handled the same as the Department of Transportation.
