The use of cameras as a policing tool may be expanding locally.

The village of Lakewood is considering the use of cameras on Fairmount Avenue, Fairdale Avenue, Chautauqua Avenue, and Terrace Avenue as part of a contract with Flock Safety. The contract would also come with the ability to access cameras in other areas that have contracts with Flock. At the same time, the county Sheriff’s Office announced a new partnership with Axon to deploy the sheriff’s Community Request integration with Ring smart cameras.

There are obvious benefits to the use of cameras, or access to Ring or other doorbell cameras. Such passive surveillance can often help provide leads that are necessary in solving crimes – including serious ones like shootings or robberies. The knowledge that cameras are in use can also serve as a deterrent to prevent some types of crime. They have proven valuable to police officers who can’t be in all places, all the time.

But it’s worth noting that the benefits come at a cost. With cameras everywhere, particularly Ring cameras, there are legitimate concerns about invasions of privacy and the increasing surveillance state. It’s interesting that Ring canceled its contract with Flock after criticism of Ring’s advertisement during the Super Bowl. That commercial came under scrutiny after the Amazon doorbell company ran an ad during the Super Bowl that touted a “Search Party” feature that uses artificial intelligence to help locate lost pets. When a user initiates the feature, it activates a network of participating Ring cameras, which scan footage for images resembling the missing dog.

Privacy advocates said the Search Party function could allow Amazon to track living things. Who decides when and how to deploy that ability should raise questions before people opt into the Sheriff’s Office’s program with Axon or before Lakewood residents are on the hook for a contract with Flock.

Opting into these programs sounds great on the surface – but we fear it could circumvent legal protections that protect people’s rights to privacy. We aren’t saying people shouldn’t opt into the Sheriff’s Office’s partnership with Axon, nor are we necessarily opposing Lakewood’s contract with Flock. There are legitimate benefits to the use of these cameras. But everyone should be aware of what they may be giving up, too.