Law enforcement

State lawmakers, ACLU consider legislation to regulate police surveillance

State lawmakers and civil liberties advocates are considering legislation that would regulate police surveillance programs — and require public disclosure — after theBaltimore Police Department ran a secret aerial surveillance program over the city for months.

The head of the city's delegation to the Maryland House of Delegates said the public should know where such technology is used, how the information is kept and the costs involved. The lawmaker, Del. Curt Anderson, is looking at proposing regulations in the next General Assembly session that all Maryland police departments would have to follow to do any kind of surveillance.

In Baltimore, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland plans to submit legislation to the City Council that would prevent the Police Department from acquiring new surveillance technology without public debate.