The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Sept. 15 to dissolve its existing Surveillance Use Ad Hoc Group and reestablish it with Supervisors Michelle Bushnell and Mike Wilson, according to the board’s action summary. Rex Bohn opposed the motion; Supervisors Natalie Arroyo and Steve Madrone joined Bushnell and Wilson in supporting it.
The new group will include the two supervisors along with representatives from the county administrative office, Sheriff’s Office, Information Technology and Public Works. Its assignment is to broadly examine surveillance use in Humboldt County and return with a proposed policy and draft ordinance by the end of 2027. The board also left open the possibility of bringing individual policy items forward before a complete ordinance is recommended.
The Sept. 15 meeting discussion identified Flock automated license-plate-reader cameras, drones and other surveillance technologies as potential parts of the policy discussion. Supervisors also discussed questions about access to surveillance information, how it is stored and whether a policy should address technologies used beyond law enforcement.
The action starts a formal county policy process but does not establish limits on surveillance technology, enforcement provisions or a complete inventory of the county’s current tools and contracts. The board’s record also does not specify a meeting schedule or work plan for the reconstituted group.
