New Poll Identifies Where AI, Cameras & Civil Liberties Collide and Can Coexist

LVT Mobile Surveillance Product - 2026 Security Benchmark Report — Photo courtesy of LVT.

LVT (LiveView Technologies Inc.) released its 2026 Public Safety & Privacy Benchmark, a landmark study measuring how safety perceptions impact civic engagement and participation in daily activities, and the specific guardrails Americans want for security cameras with AI. The report arrives as the national debate over public safety versus civil liberties reaches a critical tipping point.

While communities are increasingly challenging the unchecked use of surveillance, cities and businesses face mounting pressure to deter crime without creating a surveillance state. LVT commissioned this research, conducted by The Harris Poll, to move past the binary "safety versus privacy" argument and identify the public opinion benchmark for an acceptable way to use security technologies while maintaining rigorous privacy standards. Ultimately, these findings aim to empower security teams, public safety leaders and elected officials to improve community safety while preserving the trust and transparency people expect and value.

“Safety and security profoundly affect how communities thrive. As safety leaders and government officials work to prevent crimes like smash-and-grabs, assaults and vandalism, they must also define the ethical guardrails for the technology they deploy,” said Steve Lindsey, co-founder and chief strategist, LVT. “LVT commissioned the Public Safety & Privacy Benchmark to clarify what Americans expect from security tools, offering a path for leaders to meet the public's need for safety through technology that is flexible, transparent, and intentionally designed to protect privacy while upholding the fundamental trust that keeps our neighborhoods whole.”

Americans Are Concerned for Their Safety in Public & Believe Some Locations Need Increased Security

At least one in five Americans would feel somewhat or very unsafe during the daytime when attending cultural events/concerts/sporting events at a stadium/arena (22%); in large, open-air retail parking lots (21%); at open-air public events including festivals, street fairs, and outdoor markets (20%); and at local polling places on election day (20%).

Nighttime Avoidance: 81% would avoid at least one public place after dark due to safety concerns. The most-cited places are local parks/public green spaces (50%) and large, open-air retail parking lots (46%).
Demand for Security: 93% believe some locations need increased security at any time of day, with most citing open-air public events (44%) and school or university campuses (43%).
Urgency: 88% agree it is somewhat or very important for public security cameras to be installed within 24 hours in the event of a sudden increase in local crime.

Nearly Half of U.S. Citizens Avoided Civic Engagement Because of Safety Risks

Safety concerns extend to political engagement, which could potentially impact the upcoming midterm elections. 45% of U.S. citizens avoided at least one political activity in the past six months because they felt unsafe or feared potential confrontation or intimidation. Citizens noted they avoided discussing politics in a public setting (24%); attending a political rally or protest (19%); attending a local public meeting (15%); or dropping off a ballot at a public box (13%). Thirty-two percent did not intend to engage in any political activities during this time, regardless of perceived safety and 23% did not avoid any political activities.

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Given the current political climate, U.S. citizens were asked how comfortable or uncomfortable they would feel doing specific activities.

20% said they would feel uncomfortable voting in person at a local polling place.
26% would feel uncomfortable using a designated ballot drop box.
30% would feel uncomfortable attending a local town hall or city council meeting.

AI-Powered Security Can Quell Safety Fears, With Clear Guardrails

The survey suggests that while 62% of Americans feel seeing an armed guard at a public location can make an area feel more dangerous than they previously thought, there is broad consensus that technology should be used to augment human security. This support, however, is contingent on clear standards for how technology is applied:

Detection & Deterrence: 60% of Americans support cameras with AI in public spaces to detect suspicious behaviors — such as break-ins — before they occur.
Video Retention: 47% say that collected video security footage must be securely deleted after 30 days if no crime is detected, which would increase their public trust in how companies and local municipalities use security cameras in public spaces.
Targeted Use Cases: 79% agree it is acceptable for businesses to use security cameras with facial recognition technology to match against a list of known violent offenders.
Operational Flexibility: 74% agree that municipalities and businesses should have the ability to activate or deactivate specific AI features of a security camera based on their needs.
ALPR Transparency: 78% feel safer parking in retail/public lots that use automated license plate readers (ALPRs) over ones that do not. However, 87% say signs should be visible notifying people that ALPRs are in use, and 67% believe non-suspicious license plate data should be deleted within 30 days (with 22% wanting it deleted immediately).

Survey Methodology: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of LVT from March 23 – 25, 2026, among 2,089 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 2,035 are citizens of the U.S. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. The sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.