NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville's Metro Council rejected a proposal for 15 new police surveillance cameras downtown Monday night, voting 20-15 with three abstentions against the $150,000 measure that would have been funded by the Nashville Downtown Partnership.
The camera rejection marks the first decision on pieces of Nashville's $15 million downtown safety plan, which was split into separate votes after the broader agreement stalled late last year amid debates over surveillance use and private oversight of public safety spending.
The cameras were originally part of a single $15 million public safety agreement with the Nashville Downtown Partnership. The grant comes from Tennessee’s Downtown Public Safety Grant program — a $100 million statewide initiative — with Nashville allocated $15.03 million. The Partnership applied for the funds on the city’s behalf after the mayor’s office said Metro could not meet the state’s short application window. Without an approved MOU, the Partnership could still receive and potentially use the funds for other eligible purposes under state rules. That larger deal faced criticism over controversial software, surveillance concerns and questions about oversight when a private group manages public safety spending.
Council members approved three other items:
- A $430,000 armored rescue vehicle
- A $2 million mobile command post
- An $800,000 tactical support post
The Metro Nashville Community Review Board said the camera measure's failure reflects public privacy concerns. In a recent report, the board warned that even without facial recognition software removed from earlier drafts, new camera systems raise questions about data control, storage duration and sharing when purchased through a private agency. The report also noted that past versions of the plan included two AI-driven surveillance tools — LeoSight and Fivecast — which were removed by amendment after public backlash over their capabilities to track individuals and detect “emotions” from online data.
"Council members, at the heart of this resolution lies a very dangerous narrative that surveillance will make Nashvillians feel safe when in reality, and it's my experience that surveillance actually undermines our sense of safety and it undermines our freedom, starting with our freedom of speech," said a Nashville resident speaking against the resolution.
Supporters of splitting the votes argue it allows urgent safety needs to move forward without waiting for the full agreement. Opponents say it sidesteps deeper accountability debates over the $15 million plan.
"I want us to continue to feel safe in our city, and I have faith and trust in this body and our local police force to support all of the efforts towards safety and expect all of this to happen in a very just and lawful manner," said a Nashville resident speaking in support.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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