B.C.’s privacy and civil rights watchdogs are expressing concern about police creating neighbourhood security camera registries.
Jason Woywada, executive director at the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, said the move fundamentally increases and normalizes surveillance. That, he said, affects human behaviour and infringes upon civil liberties. “There’s a lot of concerns about this,” she said. “It’s a slippery slope. If you want to do this, do it in the light of day.”
He said in an ideal world people probably wouldn’t feel the need to have cameras on their homes and businesses.He described the registries as an extreme form of a neighbourhood watch. Crime Stoppers said all information would remain confidential, and that police do not have access to any video recordings without an owner’s consent.