N.C. City Sets Strict Limits on Police Drones, Cameras and Surveillance Data
What to know
- Durham approved a resolution establishing strict rules for how police can collect, store, share and audit surveillance data ahead of a $16 million Axon technology contract.
- Future surveillance technology purchases must undergo city council review, and any new automated license plate reader deployment requires council approval.
- The policy bans vendors from using city data to train AI, requires strong encryption standards, limits immigration-enforcement use, restricts data sharing and imposes discipline for violations.
Durham is setting strict rules for how the city’s police department can obtain and use surveillance technology.
The action comes two weeks after the Durham City Council approved a $16 million contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. for new police drones, cameras and software.
In a resolution Monday night, the council sets parameters for how data will be collected, stored and audited before the Axon contract is officially executed. The document is similar to Community Control Over Police Surveillance, or CCOPS, ordinances some U.S. cities have requiring police departments to get public approval and government oversight before obtaining new surveillance technology.
“This is a good start,” Councilman Nate Baker said. “I think we can go further in the future if we want to ... There are some tangible impacts that this resolution has.”
The resolution forces the city manager to build strict privacy, artificial intelligence and encryption rules into the city’s operating policies. The resolution differs from an ordinance since the rules only will affect how the city handles surveillance technology contracts and its own use. The city did not make a new criminal law regarding drones or AI, which is what an ordinance would do. What does the resolution do?
The document responds to the council’s request for written protections for civil liberties and data privacy, stemming from the June 1 meeting when the Axon contract was approved. The resolution requires: * Mandatory review: All future surveillance technology contracts must be brought before the council. Before, the city manager could approve smaller, routine contracts without council approval. * License plate readers: The deployment of any new automated license plate reader systems is strictly prohibited without the council’s prior review and approval.
Additionally, the resolution sets boundaries for body-worn cameras, drones with cameras, and the FUSUS real-time intelligence platform.
Key data protections in the resolution include: * AI Training Ban: Third-party vendors are prohibited from using city data to train, fine-tune, or improve artificial intelligence of machine-learning tools * Encryption Keys: All city data hosted by cloud vendors (FUSUS) must be encrypted, and the city must keep the encryption keys to the maximum extent. * Immigration Enforcement: Law enforcement technologies cannot be used to assist federal immigration enforcement unless part of an active state, interstate or international criminal or national security investigation. * Data Sharing: the city won’t share collected surveillance data with other governing bodies unless explicitly required by law. This prevents general public surveillance outside of criminal investigations.
Violations of any rules in the resolution will result in disciplinary actions, according to the city.
__________
© 2026 The Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.).
Visit www.heraldsun.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.