USPS says the cameras, put on USPS truck dashboards, will scan roads, signs, and more.
The United States Postal Service is running a pilot program to put cameras in its mail carrier trucks that continuously scan roads and signs, map roadways and sidewalks, and improve “community safety,” according to a letter posted by a labor union and a statement from the agency to 404 Media. The idea is that, since the trucks are constantly traveling anyway, they can be used as a way to collect data, eventually potentially across the nation.
The letter, written by the United States Postal Service (USPS) Labor Relations to Brian Renfroe, the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, says the USPS will partner with Next Base, a dashcam company, for the pilot. At the moment, the cameras will be used in the Washington, DC area, and will be installed on a hundred vehicles, the letter says.
On its website, Next Base offers a variety of dash cams, marketed to ordinary drivers, fleet operators, and ride share drivers. Its website says Next Base’s cameras record in up to 4K, and can capture every “license plate” with precision. The cameras don’t run automatic license plate reader (ALPR) software, though.
The pilot was slated to start on September 21, and is expected to last several months, the letter says.
USPS trucks already have 360 degree cameras that capture the outside of the vehicle for a period of time.
The part worth watching is the data side of the dashcam-company partnership: who owns the footage, how long it’s kept, and whether it can be shared with police or sold on. USPS is subject to FOIA, so a records request for the pilot agreement and any retention or data-sharing terms is one of the few concrete things people can do here. If the deal really is only about mapping roads and signs, the contract should say so, and if it doesn’t, that’s the story.