04-2: Security Trailer and Monitoring Services Memo — original pdf

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MEMORANDUM To: Mayor and City Council Through: Stephanie Hayden-Howard, LMSW, Assistant City Manager From: Date: Subject: Jesús Aguirre, MBA, CPRE, Director, Austin Parks and Recreation January 26, 2026 Security Trailer and Monitoring Services - Pilot Program, Privacy and Data Governance, and Recommendations for Implementation The purpose of this memorandum is to inform the Mayor and City Council of the results of Austin Parks and Recreation’s recent initiative to enhance public safety through the strategic deployment of trailers with security cameras for various parkland areas. The following memorandum provides a summary analysis of the multi-year pilot program, addresses considerations regarding technology and data privacy, and provides recommendations for implementation. Pilot Program Austin Parks and Recreation (APR) is committed to ensuring that Austin’s parks are welcoming, inclusive, and safe for all residents and visitors. The trailers with security cameras pilot program were initiated as a strategic response to recurring incidents of property crime, most notably Burglary of Vehicle (BOV) offenses, in parking lots at parks with high visitor use. At the start of the pilot, there were some park locations with more than 100 BOVs a year, making it increasingly difficult for families and parkgoers to feel secure with these levels of property crime. Deployment locations for the trailers with security cameras were determined through a collaborative process with Austin Police utilizing historical crime data to identify areas of highest concern. Many of the trailers were placed in parking lots where BOVs were occurring. Since APR launched the pilot program in 2022 across several area parks, Austin Police has observed an overall reduction in crime, particularly burglary of vehicles. (See Table 1 on Page 3.) Not all the parks monitored began the pilot program at the same time or used the trailers with security cameras for the same duration. Of the 15 parks that participated in this pilot program, nine experienced a decrease in reported incidents of crime during or after trailer deployment. Several of these parks demonstrated a lasting positive impact in the reduction of crime even once the trailers were removed. These included Barton Creek Greenbelt, Mayfield Park & Preserve, Northwest District Park, Turner Roberts Recreation Center, Roy G. Guerrero Park, and Zilker Park. Other parks (Redbud Isle and St. Edwards Park) recorded declines in crime while the trailers with security Date: Subject: January 26, 2026 SecurityTrailers and Monitoring Services - Pilot Program, Privacy and Data Governance, and Recommendations for Implementation cameras were present, but those reductions did not continue once the trailers were removed. (See Table 2 on page 3.) Across the participating sites, all crime types were impacted including drug violations, simple assaults, and vandalism. However, the most significant decreases were observed in BOVs. Given this data, APR would like to focus any future trailers with security cameras deployment in parking lots with higher rates of BOV to help foster a safer and more welcoming park space for all visitors. On February 5th, APR will bring a contract with the objective to foster a safer and more secure environment for all park visitors for City Council approval. The vendor will be Live View Technology (LVT). The initial term will be for three years with two optional one-year extension options. APR will use existing funding from their operational budget subject to City Council appropriation. Privacy and Data Governance APR will continue to uphold strong privacy standards. Under the proposed contract, the City maintains sole and exclusive ownership of all system data, while the technology provider, LVT, is contractually barred from accessing, sharing, or utilizing the footage for any purpose, including AI training or third-party distribution. The data is hosted in a U.S.-based, CJIS-compliant cloud environment using encrypted networks before being permanently deleted after 60 days. It remains under exclusive administrative control of the City of Austin, with the service provider strictly prohibited from accessing, managing, or viewing the footage. Within the City, access is strictly limited to authorized personnel with every activity tracked via a permanent, time-stamped audit log to ensure full accountability. Austin Police personnel will be allowed access to recorded footage to be used for investigations. The system will not use facial recognition, biometric identification technology, audio capture, or autonomous analytics. Any personally identifiable information (PII), such as faces or license plates, will be excluded or redacted when not relevant to property crime investigations. Video data will only be used for public safety purposes to assist with post-incident investigations. Authorized City of Austin personnel, not automated tools, will review footage to ensure accuracy and context. Access to the application containing PII will be limited to approved users and protected under City security and privacy controls consistent with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-53, which provides a comprehensive catalog of security and privacy controls designed to manage risk and protect information systems from a wide range of cyber threats. Recommendation for Implementation APR will post clear signage at monitored locations and maintain program details on its public website, including purpose, data use, retention, and contact information for questions or complaints. These measures will ensure the program remains transparent, secure, and aligned with community expectations and City security and privacy programs. Page 2 of 4 Date: Subject: January 26, 2026 SecurityTrailers and Monitoring Services - Pilot Program, Privacy and Data Governance, and Recommendations for Implementation Table1: Burglary of Vehicles at Austin Parks using Trailers with Security Cameras Burglary of Vehicles 2022 2023 2024 Rainey Street Trailhead Redbud Isle (3401 Redbud Trail) Barton Creek Greenbelt (3918 S MoPac) Mayfield Park & Preserve (3505 W 35th) St. Edwards Park (7301 Spicewood Springs) Circle C Metro Park (6301 Slaughter) Covert Park (3800 Mt Bonnell Rd) 6th & Sabine Northwest Park (7000 Ardath St) Turner Roberts Rec Center (7201 Colony Loop Dr) Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary (5827 Levander Loop) Zilker Park (2225 Andrew Zilker Rd) Bull Creek Metro Park (7904 1/2 N Capital of Texas) Roy G Guerrero Park (400 Grove Blvd) Gaines Creek Park (4801 Republic of Texas Blvd) 7 19 100 80 100 3 373 0 27 0 0 4 1 1 1 4 27 54 23 19 7 144 0 8 0 0 1 10 3 1 5 38 45 35 71 22 156 0 4 1 0 8 12 1 1 2025 (through August 24) 1 13 21 18 33 13 88 0 0 1 0 0 7 0 0 Table 2: Crime Incidents at Austin Parks using Trailers with Security Cameras All Crime Incidents 2022 2023 2024 2025 (through August 24) Rainey Street Trailhead Redbud Isle (3401 Redbud Trail) Barton Creek Greenbelt (3918 S MoPac) Mayfield Park & Preserve (3505 W 35th) St. Edwards Park (7301 Spicewood Springs) Circle C Metro Park (6301 Slaughter) Covert Park (3800 Mt Bonnell Rd) 6th & Sabine Northwest Park (7000 Ardath St) Turner Roberts Rec Center (7201 Colony Loop Dr) Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary (5827 Levander Loop) Zilker Park (2225 Andrew Zilker Rd) Bull Creek Metro Park (7904 1/2 N Capital of Texas) Roy G Guerrero Park (400 Grove Blvd) Gaines Creek Park (4801 Republic of Texas Blvd) 35 27 115 86 108 7 392 11 34 3 0 6 1 18 1 38 27 60 24 23 10 151 47 10 0 0 2 10 26 1 34 43 56 42 84 26 171 12 6 11 0 15 14 29 1 15 17 25 23 37 14 97 3 4 3 2 1 11 4 0 Page 3 of 4 Date: Subject: January 26, 2026 SecurityTrailers and Monitoring Services - Pilot Program, Privacy and Data Governance, and Recommendations for Implementation APR is prepared to address any inquiries that City Council may have regarding this matter. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Amanda Ross, Division Manager of Austin Parks and Recreation at amanda.ross@austintexas.gov or (512) 978-2601. cc: T.C. Broadnax, City Manager Erika Brady, City Clerk Jason Hadavi, City Auditor Mary Jane Grubb, Municipal Court Clerk Judge Sherry Statman, Municipal Court CMO Executive Team Department Directors Page 4 of 4