Reno Lacking Transparency Over Surveillance Cameras

The City of Reno has come under fire for its reluctance to disclose the locations of its security cameras, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.

The city provided only a vague list of camera names with non-specific locations, citing the Nevada Public Records Act as justification for withholding detailed information. An unnamed records official refused to clarify the abbreviations used for each camera, adding that producing the requested information would be burdensome and costly.

Requests for invoices, installation records, maintenance documentation, and footage came with a nearly $15,000 service charge after This is Reno filed a Freedom of Information Act. The city claimed no records of the purchased cameras.

Despite the city’s reluctance to disclose specifics, it’s known that several cameras are visible to the public and installed in various city properties, capturing footage of public areas, including one at City Plaza, which captured real-time video of rioters, and additional cameras documenting rioting within City Hall. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a group of University of Nevada, Reno students were able to geolocate many of the cameras using their names in Google Street View.

In 2022, the city purchased a license for Fusus, a platform enabling police to monitor private security cameras owned by citizens and businesses. While proponents argue that Fusus enhances public safety and police efficiency, critics, including the EFF, caution against potential privacy violations and the circumvention of legal safeguards. Beryl Lipton of the EFF expressed concern over the use of private companies for surveillance purposes, warning against the erosion of civil rights and government overreach.