09/01/2026
PSPD Establishes Technology and Surveillance Community Advisory Board
The Palm Springs Police Department has established a Technology and Surveillance Community Advisory Board to provide an additional level of community review, dialogue, and transparency regarding the Department’s use of law enforcement technology.
The Board was created voluntarily by the Police Department because we believe the community should have a meaningful opportunity to understand how these technologies are used, ask questions, raise concerns, and provide recommendations regarding privacy, policy, data retention, auditing, and accountability.
The five-member Board includes community members with a range of backgrounds and perspectives, including experience or interest in technology, privacy, civil liberties, and government accountability. We intentionally sought individuals who would bring different viewpoints to the discussion, including people who have expressed concerns about law enforcement surveillance technology.
The names of Board members are not being withheld. The Department is currently gathering members’ biographies and photographs and intends to publicly introduce the members once that information is complete.
The Board will initially focus on Automated License Plate Recognition technology and may later review other technologies used by the Department.
Its responsibilities will include reviewing Department policies and compliance information, examining audit summaries and aggregate usage information, identifying areas for improvement, and making recommendations to the Chief of Police. The Board will not operate surveillance systems, review active investigations, access individual case files or raw personal information, or direct Department operations.
Transparency is a central purpose of this effort. The Board will hold several public meetings, with meeting dates, agendas, and opportunities for public comment announced in advance. Meeting summaries, reports, recommendations, and other appropriate materials will be made available to the public whenever possible. Information that is confidential or otherwise protected by law, including certain investigative, personnel, or privacy-related information, will not be publicly disclosed.
This Board is not being established because of a legal requirement. It is being established because responsible use of technology requires more than simply complying with the law. It requires ongoing review, meaningful community involvement, and a willingness to answer difficult questions.
Our goal is straightforward: use technology when it helps keep Palm Springs safe, while ensuring appropriate safeguards, accountability, privacy protections, and public trust.
Andy Mills
Kyle Stjerne
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As questions mount over license-plate-reading cameras, Palm Springs police are creating a citizens oversight board. See link below ⬇️
📸 Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
