I currently live in Seattle and, in the past, I worked on mesh networks for another city. In that other city, the motivating factor for their public safety people was entirely ensuring connectivity for their personnel (making sure that in the event of a disaster, when cell systems might be inoperable, the first responders can still use their devices). Nobody talked about surveillance.

Talking about public safety is the easiest way to get something done. The other uses come later, quietly.

you didn't have the ability to selectively shutdown the mobile network to allow only those emergency and Telco employees with with dual sim'd phones to access in an emergency?