1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I support improving safety in Austin parks, but I worry that building a separate, vendor‑run camera network will make it harder for Austin Police Department (APD) to use the footage. Since APD already has the HALO camera network and a real‑time monitoring center, I ask Council to first evaluate what it would cost to expand HALO and integrate park cameras directly into systems APD already uses for dispatch and investigations. I am not opposed to surveillance. I want it used in a targeted way that helps identify repeat offenders and hold them accountable. Please request a clear cost and capability comparison between the proposed LVT contract and an equivalent investment in HALO and APD’s existing real‑time crime center, and prioritize a single, well‑governed platform that officers can access quickly and that has strong rules for data retention and limits on sharing with outside agencies like CBP and ICE.