Portland Regulates Surveillance Ahead of Possible Drone Trial

As cities, and especially police, increase their use of surveillance technology, Portland, Oregon, is joining a handful of municipalities taking steps to increase transparency.

A resolution passed unanimously in Portland Wednesday requires the city to assess its use of surveillance-related technologies, such as traffic-safety sensors and police license plate readers. In the making for the last two years, adoption of the policy comes as the city’s police force moves toward testing use of drones equipped with sensors and video cameras, and aims to purchase a gunshot detection system.

But unlike Portland’s bold ban on facial recognition in 2020, the surveillance resolution does not ...