Seattle police union accuses department of “spying” on officers

Seattle’s police union objected to the division’s use of synthetic intelligence to investigate police physique digicam footage, calling it a type of “spying” on officers.

Why it issues: The division just lately stopped utilizing the know-how, developed by an organization known as Truleo, as civil liberties teams raised issues concerning the public’s privateness.

• However the union’s objections could have been a much bigger issue within the division’s choice to pause the contract.

Truleo’s system makes use of synthetic intelligence to scan physique digicam recordings and alert supervisors if officers are behaving unprofessionally, reminiscent of through the use of curse phrases, insults or threats.

What they’re saying: Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan informed Axios final week that the SPD started utilizing Truleo’s know-how in 2021 with out informing officers.

• Solan mentioned that is a change in working situations that ought to have been negotiated with the union.
• “The division was spying on their workers with out letting them know,” Solan mentioned.

Plus: Solan mentioned officers share issues raised by the ACLU of Washington concerning the know-how probably violating the rights of group members who work together with police.

The opposite facet: Truleo CEO Anthony Tassone mentioned his firm’s know-how separates civilian audio from officer audio, zeroing in on the language utilized by officers whereas not specializing in members of the general public.

• In an e mail to Axios, Tassone wrote that “physique digicam analytics carried out in a accountable means that protects civilian privateness is the way forward for police supervision and training.”

The Seattle Police Division declined to remark this week on the union’s accusations.