HOULTON, Maine — An Aroostook County town is turning its controversial surveillance cameras back on this week, following more than a year of public backlash about their use.
The 50-plus cameras, equipped with technology that can identify facial characteristics, led to a year-long public saga about the legality of their use. The subsequent public outrage led the town’s new manager to temporarily disconnect the system earlier this year.
The hiatus gave officials time to develop a policy to ensure that the cameras are used in compliance with a 2021 Maine law that sharply limits a municipality’s use of facial surveillance technology.
On Monday night, the Houlton Town Council unanimously approved a new policy prohibiting local officials from reinstalling or enabling facial recognition technology on existing or new cameras, unless authorized by Maine law.
“Facial recognition will be disabled and never enabled to be consistent with our policy,” said Town Manager Cameron Clark during the meeting.
In early 2024, Houlton Police Chief Tim DeLuca first announced that the town was preparing to install 50 Verkada surveillance cameras purchased for $130,000 with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. But it wasn’t until a February court hearing that DeLuca testified he was aware of the camera’s ability to discern people by clothing and facial characteristics.
The cameras were reportedly installed in March 2024, according to what DeLuca told the Town Council at the time. Last month, Clark said that several of the cameras were never installed, although he was not the town manager at the time of their installation.
Clark’s early February decision to turn off the cameras came after residents publicly questioned the cost and legality of the surveillance cameras, which are equipped with facial recognition technology.
Houlton resident Craig Harriman sued the town last year, after he’d made several Freedom of Access Act requests for information about the cameras’ capabilities and the costs associated with their use.
Earlier this month, Harriman again filed a complaint in Aroostook County Superior Court regarding a Freedom of Access request about how facial recognition technology was accessed and used in 2024.
In January, during two separate Town Council meetings, local entrepreneur Patrick Bruce accused the town of violating Maine law because of their facial recognition technology. The town has not directly addressed Bruce’s allegations.
In 2021, Maine’s Legislature passed a law that sharply limited the ability of governments, schools and public officials to use facial surveillance technology for all but the most serious investigations.
Clark made it clear on Monday night that when the cameras are turned back on, facial recognition would be disabled by systems administrator S.J. Rollins.
During the time the cameras were deactivated, officials and the systems administrator were locked out of the surveillance system when its licensing expired.
Subsequently, Clark secured a 10-year licensing deal with the manufacturer that will cut the annual fee for the online storage of video nearly in half, he said.
And when he pays the annual $3,300 fee this week, the cameras will be turned back on, he said on Tuesday.
During Monday night’s meeting, Town Councilor Eileen McLaughlin asked Clark whether they could get something either verbally or in writing to ensure the systems administrator knows it is their responsibility to not activate facial recognition technology on the cameras.
Clark said the new policy would take care of that concern.
“Unless there is a law change, they would not be able to do that,” Clark said. “I can make sure this policy is given to the systems administrator. Given some of the press related to the town specifically, I think it’s well known that no municipality can be utilizing facial recognition. “
