The Rialto Police Department has issued a strong response to HBO's "Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver, refuting his criticisms of the department's use of privately owned security cameras. The department stated that Oliver's segment presented a misleading picture of how the technology is utilized and the safeguards in place.
Oliver's show focused on Fusus, a platform that enables law enforcement to access participating private security cameras during investigations and emergencies. During the segment, Oliver suggested that Rialto pressures new businesses into granting police access to their cameras in exchange for permits. However, Captain Lamont Quarker, a department spokesman, denied this, stating that no business has ever been denied a permit for refusing to participate in the program.
Quarker explained that officers inform business owners about the program, detailing what police can and cannot access, and outlining privacy protections before any decision is made. He added that many business owners choose to participate after understanding the public safety benefits, and the city is considering a policy change where participation would remain voluntary, with businesses only required to discuss the program. Quarker defended Fusus as a modern extension of existing partnerships between police and local businesses, citing its effectiveness in identifying suspects, locating offenders, recovering evidence, and improving response times in violent crime incidents.
Oliver also drew attention to a 30,413-page paper printout received by his show when requesting Fusus records, which he presented on stage as a comedic prop. Quarker acknowledged that the paper production was an error and not an attempt to conceal information, stating the records were later converted into a searchable database.
Oliver's claims that the logs showed police accessing interior cameras at businesses like Chick-Fil-A and cameras at a Days Inn, including employee-only areas, were also addressed by Quarker. The captain clarified that the records indicated camera feeds that were passively available on department monitors, not actively monitored for extended periods. He emphasized that this passive monitoring is crucial during emergencies, as officers can lose valuable time trying to locate the correct camera feed when seconds count.