The Mayor and Chief both say they do not understand the technology. But the Mayor also says:
“So I agree that we need to have those guardrails in place. And the way technology changes — you know a lot more about technology than I do — but as technology changes, we're going to find those gaps. We're going to find somebody who accessed the system who shouldn't have, and they'll be fired, and if they've done anything illegal they'll be prosecuted. But in the meantime, you're right, the damage is already done.”
So I ask you: how can you safely implement technology you do not understand?
First, find your ward.
Springdale
Email your representatives ASAP to express your concerns. We have example letters to send at the bottom of this page.
Email all of Springdale’s City Council
City Council meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.. 201 Spring Street, 2nd Floor, Springdale. Committees meet the 1st and 3rd Monday, 5:30 p.m.
Also worth writing to
Bentonville
Email your representatives ASAP to express your concerns. We have example letters to send at the bottom of this page.
Email all of Bentonville’s City Council
City Council meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.. 305 SW A Street, Community Development Building, Bentonville.
Also worth writing to
Siloam Springs
Email your representatives ASAP to express your concerns. We have example letters to send at the bottom of this page.
Email all of Siloam Springs’s Board of Directors
Board of Directors meets 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.. City Administration Building, 400 N. Broadway, Board Room, Siloam Springs.
The city publishes one address that reaches the whole Board, and its own website tells residents to use it for comments on an agenda item: board@siloamsprings.gov
Also worth writing to
Examples of what to say
Short is better. Say where you live, say the thing that bothers you, and stop. Do not send all three of these. Pick the one that sounds like you and put it in your own words.
I live in Ward __. I have reviewed the agreement the City signed and I do not believe our data is safe. I want this system shut down, and I want a written rule about buying surveillance equipment before the next one arrives.
I live in Ward __. Why is the City allowing a private company a perpetual, worldwide right to use and distribute data from our cameras, including for “other Flock offerings”? That is § 4.3 of the agreement Springdale signed. Handing that to third parties is a national security issue and I want to know who approved it.
I live in Ward __. How many cameras does the City have, who outside Springdale police can search what they collect, and where are the audits? The Chief has already said in writing that the City does not have a copy of the agreement with Amazon that governs where our data actually sits. I want answers in writing.
Put your own name and street at the bottom. That is the part that makes it count, because it shows you are someone they answer to.
Show up.
The Springdale City Council meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at 201 Spring Street. Public comment happens in the room. Three minutes from a resident who lives here is worth more than any email.
Do your own records request.
Anything the City holds, you can ask for. Email the City Clerk, who is the official custodian of records for the City of Springdale: sjeffus@springdalear.gov