SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Police Department will soon be getting a mobile security unit, allowing officers to keep an eye on areas in the city seeing an increase in crime.
"The location will be determined by the police department, they will get to decide where they determine best by hotspots," Spokane City Council member Zack Zappone said.
Council President Breean Beggs voted against the proposal, as did councilwoman Betsy Wilkerson. She thinks that kind of money would be better spent on street lighting.
"The police have not provided any parameters of how the location will be determined, what that looks like, it will just show up in a neighborhood or a location," Wilkerson said. "So, I personally have some concerns about equity."
"Obviously cameras bring issues of security and privacy," Wilkerson added. "But, when it comes to issues like this, it's still in a public space."
The surveillance unit passed in a 5-2 vote. Beggs says there will be a separate ordinance where police will have to come before council members to explain how and where the camera will be used.
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