NAMPA, Idaho — Neighbors in Nampa voiced their questions and privacy concerns at an open house hosted by the Nampa Police Department. NPD opened the doors to their Real-Time Crime Center Tuesday night, giving residents a firsthand look at the surveillance technology the department uses.
The open house began with an informational meeting where officers explained how the cameras are used and walked through specific cases where the surveillance technology helped to solve crimes.
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During the meeting, one resident asked whether investigators could have manually reviewed nearby traffic cameras instead of using the automated system.
"We could have...but it took hours of looking through all of this stuff," an officer replied.
After the meeting, residents toured the facility.
Officials say the system helps them track stolen vehicles, investigate crimes and respond more quickly to incidents.
While some residents worry the increased surveillance does not align with Idaho values, Lt. Chad Shepard said the community has changed.
"Law enforcement has to keep up with it...if we don't, we lose the fight against enforcing the laws and serving our victims," Shepard said.
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Not all residents shared the same concerns. Nampa neighbor Mitch Downey said he was impressed by what he saw.
"The technology has really taken an advanced step forward. It's really amazing..." Downey said.
But other residents were not as supportive of the technology. Nampa neighbor Sydney said she is concerned that people drive these streets every day without knowing they are being surveilled.
Nampa police use cameras and software through Motorola and Rekor rather than the Flock cameras many residents are familiar with seeing. Even so, privacy and use concerns remain for many in the community.
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"The fact that they are watching us that way...that's my main concern," Sydney told me.
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Officials with the crime center said the system only detects movement and does not read faces, but residents questioned whether the system would stay that way long term.
"It is AI...AI is designed to do all of that already...even if they say it's not in there," neighbor Breyda Sanchez said.
Police say traffic camera footage is kept for 14 days, while license plate reader data is stored for 60 days. Officers also say searches through the system require a legal reason and are audited twice a year.
Police said they hope the open house helped bring clarity to the public.
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