US Postal Service installs always-on surveillance cameras inside its trucks
Postal workers told not to be drama queens about it.
Image by Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com
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- USPS will test dashboard cameras in 100 delivery vehicles in the Washington, DC area.
- The forward-facing cameras start recording when the truck moves and do not record audio.
- The cameras will scan roads, signs, roadways, and sidewalks as part of an infrastructure data pilot.
- Nextbase says its dash cams can capture license plates, raising possible privacy concerns.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
The United States Postal Service is putting cameras on the dashboards of its mail carrier trucks that continuously scan roads and signs, map roadways and sidewalks, and improve “community safety”.
The trial, which may expand across the US, was communicated via a letter written by the United States Postal Service (USPS) Labor Relations on September 18th, and addressed to the president of the postal workers’ union, Brian Renfroe.
The letter claims the cameras will initially be trialed in the Washington, DC area “to test infrastructure data.”
The cameras will scan and analyze roads, signage, and map roadways and sidewalks.
"The purpose of this pilot is to leverage the Postal Service’s unique ability to collect this valuable data due to the scale and frequency with which our fleet of postal vehicles travel the streets of every community across the country," said the USPS letter.
The dash cam firm Nextbase will install cameras on the dashboards of 100 selected delivery vehicles. These forward-facing cameras will begin recording as soon as the truck starts moving.
“The cameras will not hinder the vehicle operator’s field of vision, nor do they record audio,” USPS adds.
Nextbase says that its dashcams also capture license plates, which may alarm US citizens concerned about Flock cameras and other Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs).
Nextbase dash cams record in up to 4K Ultra HD, capturing every road sign, license plate, and detail with precision,Netbase claims on its website.
"The sharper the image, the more reliable your evidence will be,” the vendor adds.
It is not known yet whether any postal workers objected to the cameras inside their vehicles. The union branch that posted the letter on its Facebook page , NALC Branch 238, turned off the comments on the post, warning:
Right now, this is just a pilot program. Please do not panic. Please do not call President Smith, he has enough to do! The comments are turned off, too many drama queens again!says postal worker's NALC Branch 238, on its Facebook page
People are also confused about where the cameras will be placed.
NALC Branch 238 states the cameras are on the outside of the vehicles, but the letter clearly says they will be forward-facing cameras installed on the dashboard, inside the vehicles.
USPS trucks already have 360 degree cameras that capture the outside of the vehicle for a period of time.
Hawaii’s eyes on the road program
Hawaii’s Department of Transportation (DOT) introduced Nextbase dash cams last year as part of its “Eyes on the Road” Road safety program.
Around 1,000 Nextbase dash cams were given to residents in the state to record what’s happening while they drive.
This data, which is video footage sent as still images, is then analyzed by Blyncsy’s AI and machine learning algorithms and sent back to Hawaii DOT.
