CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to surveillance technology implementation; authorizing approval of uses and accepting the 2023 updated surveillance impact report and 2023 executive overview for the Seattle Police Department's use of Automated License Plate Reader technology.
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WHEREAS, on April 19, 2021, the City Council passed Ordinance 126312, adopting the original Surveillance Impact Report (SIR) for the Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology; and
WHEREAS, subsection 14.18.020.F of the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC), enacted by Ordinance 125376 and last amended by Ordinance 125679, states that "[a]ny material update to an SIR, such as to change the purpose or manner in which a surveillance technology may be used, shall be by ordinance"; and
WHEREAS, City departments have engaged the Seattle Information Technology Department (Seattle IT) regarding potential changes in their technologies that have occurred since the original SIRs were passed by the Council; and
WHEREAS, ensuring compliance now requires operationalizing a defined process for submission of updated SIRs reflecting the material updates; and
WHEREAS, Seattle IT has worked with stakeholders including Council Central Staff, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), City Auditor's Office, City Attorney's Office, and others to develop a working definition of "Material Update" and this is reflected in the Seattle IT POL-203 Surveillance Policy updates, finalized at the end of 2022; and
WHEREAS, material updates include new capabilities and uses of the technology, not included in the SIR approved by the Council, and are evaluated with consideration of the following categories - 1) Purpose: The specific purpose(s) for the surveillance technology, 2) Functionality: The type of operations that can be run on the surveillance technology, 3) Allowable Uses: Authorized uses, the rules and processes required before that use, and...
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