Expunging Government Data

What is happening? The City of Baltimore is expunging data collected by a now defunct low level  surveillance plane program.

Why is this important? Expunging this data is complicated. During the time the planes flew, 1,532 crimes were committed, only 158 crimes that relied on evidence from the planes, and 38 crimes were cleared with the evidence. Some prosecutions may rely on it which means the data has to be maintained until all appeals are exhausted. The legal system is not known for being fast.

How will this be important? Other cities have stopped programs that used a variety of techniques like facial recognition. How are cities expunging that data? Is the data every really gone? Not if Hollywood crime movies are to be believed.

Baltimore Sun via Governing | Baltimore Police to Expunge Surveillance Plane Records