Police Use of Technology

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The Tucson Police Department is committed to respecting people's civil rights and civil liberties, and that guides our use of technology. Every system we use is governed by TPD and CJIS policy and state and federal law, and is regularly audited for compliance.

At TPD, we understand data stewardship to mean, first of all, respecting our community.

  • Our use of technology is ethical. We don't just ask, "Can we...." We ask, "Should we...."
  • Our members are accountable for how they use technology. Clear policies and defined use cases set expectations for all personnel.
  • Our policies are public. TPD General Orders are available here. City technology and data policies are available here.

What We Don't Do

  • We don't use facial recognition software in real-time public surveillance.
  • We don't use facial recognition software to establish probable cause for arrest.
  • We don't use technology to monitor people's private lives or social media without legal authority.
  • We don't share personally identifiable information with outside vendors for commercial purposes.
  • We don't retain data indefinitely; retention is dictated by CJIS/state rules.
  • We don't share data with other agencies unless there is an approved Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), an authorized use case, and a documented, auditable process.

How We Use Recording Technology and Data

Body-worn Cameras

Purpose: Provide transparency and document interactions, protecting both officers and the public.
Limits: Strict activation requirements; recordings stored by CJIS/state retention schedules are accessible for law enforcement purposes. They are also subject to public record requests under Arizona law and may be redacted to remove personally identifiable information.
Safeguards: Supervisory review and audit trails prevent misuse.

Video Surveillance Systems

Purpose: Monitor public spaces and City facilities for crime prevention and response.
Limits: Not used for mass surveillance or live monitoring of private activity.
Safeguards: Use is limited to specific public safety missions with oversight.

Automated License Plate Readers

Purpose: Locate stolen vehicles, support Amber Alerts and SAFE Alerts, and assist with serious crime investigations.
Limits: Not used to track individuals' daily movements or for minor traffic infractions.
Safeguards: Data retention is strictly time-limited per Arizona retention policies; access requires a documented law enforcement purpose.

Drone Program (Unmanned Aerial Systems)

Purpose: Assist patrol and S.W.A.T., support search and rescue, document crash or crime scenes.
Limits: Flights require supervisory approval; not used for random surveillance of the public.
Safeguards: All flights are logged and reviewed; operators are trained and certified.

Community Safety and Response Center (CSARC)

Purpose: Central hub where crime data, cameras, and technology converge to support officers in the field; firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics; and other City employees.
Limits: Only authorized personnel have access to data; no monitoring of private social media without legal authority.
Safeguards: Access is logged and reviewed.

Myth vs. Fact

Myth

Fact
Police share data with ICE or other federal agencies.

Data is not shared with other agencies without a court order or approved Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), as well as an authorized use case and a documented, auditable process that complies with CJIS, state, and federal law. TPD does not have an MOU or IGA with, or provide data to, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.

As a law enforcement agency, TPD shares case information and evidence on large and important cases with partner agencies (local, state, federal, and tribal).
Police use ALPR (Automated License Plate Recognition) to track everyone all the time. ALPR alerts and searches are only used for police cases, such as stolen vehicles, Amber Alerts, SAFE Alerts, or serious crimes. They are not used for continuous tracking of all vehicles. TPD users must provide a case number and reason for the alert or search.
TPD has access to everyone's Ring cameras and other security technologies. TPD cannot access any live video feeds from consumer devices unless explicitly provided by the owner.
Officers can misuse video or license plate data to follow someone. Tampering with police technology, systems, or equipment is a Class 3 felony under Arizona law (A.R.S. § 13-2316) and may also violate federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1030). Access to TPD video and license plate data is restricted, logged, and audited. Unauthorized use leads to disciplinary action, which may include dismissal and criminal charges.
Body-worn cameras and drones are used to monitor protests and vigils. Use is limited to lawful, documented purposes to protect public safety, taking into account risk and scale of events. Video is purged per standard retention policies (180 days for body-worn and 183 days for drone) unless there is a criminal nexus.
Drones are used for random surveillance of neighborhoods. Drones are only deployed for specific purposes, such as a barricaded subject or other criminal incident in progress or that just occurred, search and rescue, crash documentation, or with supervisory approval.
Officers routinely use facial recognition software. TPD technology does not include facial recognition software. For specific criminal cases, TPD may request facial matching services from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Such requests must meet department standards and be approved by the member's chain of command. In addition, facial recognition cannot be used to establish probable cause for arrest, but only to establish investigative leads.
Technology is deployed without oversight. TPD technology is governed by policy, logging, audits, and data retention schedules. New technology goes through a rigorous IT / City new technology process.
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