Cambridge committee advances student data platform, reviews police surveillance tools

CAMBRIDGE — May 20, 2026 — Cambridge Public Safety Committee reviews five surveillance tools, sends student data platform to full council. The committee, chaired by Councillor L. Zubair Ahmmad Alzubi, voted 5-0 on May 20 to refer a Surveillance Technology Impact Report for the Open Architects student data visualization platform to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation, with an annual cost of approximately $44,000 after a free pilot. Police Commissioner Pauline Welles defended the BRIC Crime Explorer Dashboard as closed to federal access and told councillors the department uses the tool primarily for large-event threat assessment at commencements, July 4th, and upcoming FIFA events. Welles also confirmed that Flock Safety, the city's former automated license plate reader vendor, has had its equipment removed and that CPD is not evaluating any replacement. On Central Square's six public safety cameras, Welles cited the July 4 shooting and a McDonald's hate crime as cases where footage aided investigations and said expansion to Porter Square and Harvard Square would cost roughly $130,000 for 10 additional cameras, with a council return required before any expansion. Councillor E. Denise Simmons pressed throughout the hearing for broader community input, saying the committee risks "talking for people and not to people."