Montreal police have been expanding their utilization of AI-driven technology to monitor vehicles and individuals throughout the city, sparking concerns regarding transparency and privacy rights among the public. A sophisticated camera capable of scanning and identifying vehicles was recently discovered by a Radio-Canada reporter on a lamppost along Henri-Bourassa Boulevard in Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies neighborhood. The camera, identified as a Cloudrunner CR-H2 manufactured by Genetec, was promptly removed after Radio-Canada’s coverage.
Unlike the controversial Flock Safety cameras in the U.S., the Genetec system not only scans license plates but also records specific vehicle details such as color, make, and model. The collected data is managed by the operator rather than shared in a central database accessible to multiple police forces. According to SPVM spokesperson Marc-Antoine Bélanger, the captured images are exclusively accessed by the investigators involved in the relevant work.
Concerns have been raised by privacy advocates over the lack of transparency surrounding the deployment of new technology by law enforcement agencies. Dominique Peschard, a spokesperson for the Ligue des droits et libertés, emphasized the importance of public awareness regarding the tools used by police forces to ensure accountability without compromising their operations.
The SPVM’s adoption of Cloudrunner cameras is part of a broader integration of AI technology, including the iMotion ROC AI software by Rank One Computing. While the software assists investigators in analyzing vast amounts of video footage, the SPVM denies using its facial recognition or biometric capabilities. The system functions on a closed offline network disconnected from external databases.
An internal privacy impact assessment conducted by the SPVM acknowledges the civil liberties risks associated with the technology, such as potentially subjecting innocent bystanders to investigation and the risk of discrimination based on visible social attributes. The assessment emphasizes that measures are in place to reduce discriminatory outcomes by configuring the software to search for objects rather than identifiable characteristics like ethnicity.
Following a period of confusion, Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher confirmed the SPVM’s ownership and utilization of the Cloudrunner camera for targeting armed violence and vehicle theft. While only one camera was identified and removed, additional cameras may be deployed based on the investigative requirements to address crimes like armed violence, motor vehicle theft, and violence against merchants.
Genetec’s vice-president, Andrew Elvish, reassured that the technology prioritizes privacy and logs every interaction with the gathered data. The ongoing debate surrounding the balance between community safety and privacy remains a critical consideration in the deployment of surveillance technologies. City of Montreal officials clarified that they did not install the Cloudrunner camera and directed inquiries about its deployment to the SPVM.
Montreal’s approach to surveillance technology has become a focal point, with initiatives like a proposed voluntary security camera registry championed by Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada during the last municipal election campaign. Regulatory bodies such as the Commission d’accès à l’information in Quebec stress the importance of justifying video surveillance by public entities with legitimate objectives and minimizing data collection to solve specific issues.
Legal experts like Jean-François Latreille emphasize the necessity of stringent controls on the use of such technologies to prevent the erosion of individual privacy rights in public spaces. The evolving landscape of AI-driven surveillance underscores the importance of balancing security needs with privacy protections.