It was almost midnight on May 13 when, amid protests from the public present, the Asheville City Council approved accepting more than one million dollars in federal funds for the creation of a Real-Time Intelligence Center (RTIC), which will be used by the local police.
The Real-Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) is a room where the police centralize and monitor information from multiple sources in real time.
The decision included the creation of the center and a long-term contract with the company Axon to integrate surveillance systems such as body cameras, drones, and data storage. The RTIC will allow the police to centralize and analyze, in real time, images from public and private cameras throughout the city.
Criticisms of the process and concerns about surveillance
The vote was not peaceful. Although the issue was the last on a busy agenda, which included the presentation of audiovisual Municipal and affordable housing projects, dozens of people stayed until the end to protest.
The measure was approved unanimously by the City Council, with Councilor Kim Roney casting the only dissenting vote. The decision was made amidst shouts and protests from residents, who complained that not all registered participants were able to attend.
Elizabeth Schell, an Asheville resident, criticized the process on social media: “We’ve been here for six hours. They cut off the comments even though we arrived at 4:30 pm and registered. They voted while we were standing around asking them to let everyone speak.”
Roney also questioned the handling of the meeting. Speaking to Enlace Latino NC She noted that “21 people were sent home without the opportunity to speak.” The councilwoman warned that these decisions “risk damaging public trust” and argued that, given the controversial nature of the issue, the city could have provided additional opportunities for comment before the vote.
What did the Council approve?
The City Council approved two key measures. The first authorizes the federal grant of $1.14 million for the creation of the RTIC, managed through the office of Congressman Chuck Edwards and administered by the United States Department of Justice.
The second approves a 7.5-year contract with Axon Enterprises to consolidate and upgrade the Asheville Police Department's technology systems, including body cameras, tasers, drones, and interrogation rooms.
The agreement also includes Fusus software and covers equipment, licenses, warranties, and cloud data storage.
Acting police chief Jackie Stepp defended the project, noting that the system will improve police response. “By providing the ability to analyze and disseminate information in real time, the RTIC will support more timely and informed responses,” she said. “This capability prioritizes the safety of officers, residents, and the community at large,” she stated.
A controversial topic from the start
The project had been postponed in April following the pressure from residents who questioned its scope. Since then, the use of the surveillance technology in the city it has generated concerns about privacy and access to data.
Some of those concerns focus on the possible use of the information by federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
An organization that defends the immigrant rights, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, told Enlace Latino NC that measures like this “only protect a part of the community” and could generate fear among immigrant residents.
El Councilman Bo HessThe council's only Latino member, who voted in favor, proposed a resolution to reaffirm the protection of civil liberties in the collection and use of data. The measure stipulates that technology must be used only for legal and public safety purposes.
Hess did not respond to a request for comment from Enlace Latino NC at the time of publication.
For his part, Roney warned about the potential risks of the system, including access to the data by federal agencies.
“In addition to doing everything possible to protect our community from threats from ICE and other federal agents, I heard concerns about risks to our constitutional rights and the lack of capacity to effectively protect data,” he said.
Roney added that he consulted with the ACLU of North Carolina and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which have warned that these systems can facilitate surveillance and data sharing with other agencies, raising concerns about who can access that information.
Local authorities have indicated that the system is not designed for share information with ICEHowever, access to the data may depend on agreements between agencies.
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What does RTIC consist of?
The Real-Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) will function as a room within the Police Department, from where analysts and specialized personnel monitor information in real time to respond to incidents.
The system is based on the Fusus platformThis system allows for the integration of camera images, maps, and real-time alerts on a single screen, according to a presentation given by the department to the City Council. It also incorporates tools already used by the police, such as license plate readers, drones, and body cameras.
One of the key elements is community participation. Residents and businesses can voluntarily register the location of their cameras, allowing the police to request recordings if a crime is committed nearby.
In other cases, these cameras can be connected directly to the system via a device, allowing access to real-time video during emergencies. In the first case, the police do not have direct access to the images; in the second, they can view them in real time.
According to the report, the goal is to centralize all this information in one place to facilitate coordination and police response. Part of the funding will be allocated to installing a wall of monitoring screens, at an estimated cost of around $400,000, as well as the software needed to integrate these tools.
According to documents submitted to the City Council, the data collected by these systems is not stored indefinitely. License plate reader information is retained for approximately 30 days, while other systems, such as Axon's, can retain data for up to 90 days.
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