NORTHAMPTON — Should the city be able to use face surveillance systems? A proposed ordinance before the City Council aims to prohibit it.
“Prohibition on the Use of Face Recognition Systems by Municipal Agencies, Officers, and Employees” will be discussed for the first time by councilors on Thursday at their last scheduled meeting of the year. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Puchalski Municipal Building.
Councilors Alisa Klein, William Dwight, and Gina-Louise Sciarra recommended the ordinance which reads: “It shall be unlawful for any city official to expend any city resources to obtain, retain, access, or use any face surveillance system.” This year, similar limitations have been enacted around the country, including in Somerville, Brookline and San Francisco.
In western Massachusetts, some members of the Springfield City Council have talked about a potential ban on the use of facial recognition software by the government, including the police. Although Springfield police said it does not plan to use facial recognition systems, some city councilors are nevertheless against it, citing concerns about racial discrimination and studies that show facial recognition software makes more mistakes identifying women and people with darker skin tones.
Also on Thursday evening, the Northampton City Council will take a second vote on putting a $2.5 million property tax override question on the March 3 ballot, which would permanently raise taxes. At its last meeting on Dec. 5, the council voted 7-1 in favor of putting the override on the ballot, with Ward 6 City Council Marianne LaBarge voting against it.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com.