At its Aug. 4 meeting, the Hyattsville City Council reviewed proposals to share data with two surveillance providers –including, in one case, camera feeds. The council also addressed concerns over unsecured student records and supplies left inside the old Hyattsville Elementary School building slated for demolition. 

Council weighs privacy concerns amid new police data sharing software 

Councilmember Joanne Waszczak (Ward 1) motioned to discuss the risks and benefits of the Hyattsville Police Department (HPD) entering into an agreement with a cross-jurisdictional database called the Accurint Virtual Crime Center, operated by LexisNexis. 

“We have a Fourth Amendment right to privacy in this country,” said resident Daniel Broder during the public comment period, “and any item that gives the police, whether it’s Hyattsville, Prince George’s or any other department, access to our data should be done in a public manner and with a robust discussion.” 

Hyattsville’s access to Accurint would be funded through the Prince George’s County Police Department participation grant. The software links billions of public records to agency-provided data, according to the city meeting documents. If the initiative is successful at the city level, Gov. Wes Moore plans to implement Accurint statewide. 

“This is a resource to our officers and our detectives to allow us easier, more efficient access to information,” Hyattsville police Chief Jarod Towers explained. Currently, local police departments operate with firewalled databases, limiting information-sharing between jurisdictions.

Safeguards exist within Accurint’s auditing process: Employees are prompted to justify each information request, and an audit trail is maintained for random checks and investigations into any misuse allegations. 

Councilmember Kareem Redmond (Ward 3) questioned the potential for government overreach. “What’s to stop a federal agency from pulling information out of this system to target people in our community?” he asked.

Towers assured the council that the HPD will not be sharing immigration status information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Mayor Robert Croslin added that the state governor’s office is “doing everything they can to protect our immigrant community.”

Waszczak, speaking on behalf of a constituent, questioned who can access data through Accurint. While Towers acknowledged that the database extends well beyond Hyattsville, he said he did not have a full list of agencies with access.

Further concerns emerged around data-sharing policies and third-party access. Councilmember Greg Barnes (Ward 1) asked about a license provision that allows Accurint to share information with third parties. Councilmember Emily Strab (Ward 2) questioned whether all participating jurisdictions follow a standard conduct policy.

Towers requested that the council table the discussion so he could gather more information from the state governor’s office. He said he would provide updates at the council’s September meeting. The council approved the request.

Council approves police video sharing through Fusus system

The council approved the sharing of HPD live video feed with PGPD through Axon Fusus. According to city meeting records, videos will only be accessed for “proactive monitoring for criminal activity, during a criminal incident or emergency at a City location.” 

The county is encouraging communities and businesses to integrate their cameras with Fusus. The FususCONNECT Donor Site Initiative will transmit alerts and video to law enforcement from cameras at apartment complexes, housing communities, schools, restaurants and small businesses. 

Towers, responding to a query from Waszczak, said that law enforcement will use available live feeds to make decisions on issuing expedited responses in true emergencies or delaying the deployment of police cars to a scene.

Existing partners with Fusus Axon include the Maryland State Highway Administration, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Maryland Highway Safety Office, and two unspecified Hyattsville businesses, according to Towers. 

Fusus continues its nationwide effort to enter into agreements with cities and counties. In 2023, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit civil liberties organization, reported that Fusus had contracts with nearly 150 jurisdictions. A database of these agreements has been compiled and can be found at tinyurl.com/5n8hp3zpre. 

Last December, the Nashville Metro Council narrowly rejected a Fusus agreement by one vote. According to the Nashville Banner, the decision was influenced by concerns from activists and councilmembers about the potential for Fusus to target immigrants and other marginalized communities.

Concerns about student records and supplies

In June, student records and equipment were found in the Hyattsville Elementary School building scheduled for demolition. In late July, The Washington Post reported that an unsecured room contained binders full of private records about students, including financial information and emergency contacts. Thousands of dollars’ worth of school supplies were also found in the building. 

Waszczak asked what has been done since then to secure individuals’ personally identifiable information and to distribute leftover materials to other schools. County public schools representatives Shawn Matlock and Roger Prince led the responses to public concerns about records security and waste management.

School relocations happen in two phases, Matlock explained. First, the existing program and essential supplies are moved to a temporary location. In the second phase, other departments transfer materials, including HVAC systems and kitchen equipment, to the warehouse. 

Some items, like rented copiers or servers, must be removed by third-party vendors, a process arranged by the equipment owners. At the time parents entered the building, those removals had not yet been scheduled.

“That can’t be done when you have teachers and people walking around the building,” Matlock said. 

Matlock noted that supplies can accumulate over time, especially in a school that’s been around for almost a century, like Hyattsville Elementary. “It’s just stock that piles up, and it can’t be used in other programs because it’s no longer relevant,” he said.

Prince, along with county schools Project Manager Taylor Powell and Custodian of Records Gayle Huggins, reinspected the elementary school building after the July article came out. Prince confirmed that all records, both archival and active, are securely stored in appropriate facilities.

“We’ve taken this opportunity to look at our practices in preparation for future moves,” Prince said, referring to privacy and record security, “making sure that nothing is there that can create a sense of discomfort or erode trust that the community may have in the school system or in the process that we put in place.”

According to the construction schedule, site work for the new elementary school is set to begin this Sept. 15, with full completion projected for July 15, 2027. During construction, students will use St. Mark’s School, on Adelphi Road, as a swing space.