Mayers II, Esq. Set to Present Surveillance Accountability during 2025 NACOLE Conference in Minneapolis, MN

Oversight in Action: How Civilian Oversight Authorities Can Shape Surveillance Accountability in Public Safety

Oversight in Action: How Civilian Oversight Authorities Can Shape Surveillance Accountability in Public Safety

Date and time: 10/29/25 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM CT

Location: Marriott City Center Minneapolis, MN | Ballrooms 1 & 2 (4th floor)

Speakers: Brandon Davis, Jill Fitcheard, Beryl Lipton, Carlton T. Mayers II, Esq.

As surveillance technologies and services like automated license plate readers, unmanned aerial drones, gunshot detection technologies, and real-time video networks become more deeply embedded in local public safety systems and intersect with facial recognition technologies and A.I., communities face urgent questions: Who decides how these surveillance tools are purchased, acquired, and used—and who ensures they are held accountable?

This panel discussion will explore how civilian oversight authorities can play proactive and powerful roles in shaping and implementing the policies and laws that govern surveillance technologies and services and their intersections with facial recognition technologies and A.I. for public safety purposes.

Featuring local civilian oversight leaders from Nashville’s Community Review Board (NCRB) and Grand Rapids’ Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA)—alongside a national voice from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)—this session will highlight models of collaboration among civilian oversight authorities, lawmakers, and community members to ensure democratic control over surveillance in the name of public safety.

Panelists will present real-world strategies for:

• Data collection, analysis, and public reporting on police surveillance tools

  
  

• Structuring public input and complaint processes

  
  

• Auditing surveillance use and ensuring compliance

  
  

• Shaping legislation and administrative policies that establish guardrails

  
  

• Using national investigative tools to inform local efforts

Attendees will gain insight into how civilian oversight authorities can transform data into policy, ensure transparency, and challenge harmful surveillance practices through legislation, audits, and community collaboration.

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