Worth Reading and Considering

[Mo_Zam_Beek]

http://youtu.be/x7TyJgTh-hM


Pimpin that to local LE now via low cost fixed wing. Consider that any large event / rally / protest / gathering this may be in the sky. One question is, if you need the tape, will you have access? History would say no, it can only be used against you, not for you.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/new-surveillance-technology-can-track-everyone-in-an-area-for-several-hours-at-a-time/2014/02/05/82f1556e-876f-11e3-a5bd-844629433ba3_print.html

Now days every bar / coffee shop / street corner is just like Cheers - where everybody knows your name, and pretty much everything else about you.

http://www.eonline.com/news/507361/just-when-you-thought-google-glass-couldn-t-get-creepier-new-app-allows-strangers-to-id-you-just-by-looking-at-you

But don't worry it's fer the chillern

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/02/04/bay-area-researcher-developing-facial-recognition-glasses-to-help-stop-crime/

[J-Dub]

At the federal level probably, local law enforcement? I seriously doubt. Budgets are tight, Departments are going to blow thousands on a device they MIGHT use once a year. Also we have legal requirements we have to meet before we can even PING a cell phone....let alone TAPPING a cell phone. Now I know everyone will scoff at that, but its a fact.

And for the dipshits that put where they are at on facebook every two seconds....they're doing it to themselves lol.

[Mo_Zam_Beek]

Did you read article? Yes, local level. Also RE budgets: local LEAs have been awash in Fed DHS money for more than a decade now. As prima facia I submit that I live in a community with a population of less than 75k and a county wide population of less than 200k. As I understand it all area LE rollers have license plate readers. We have a recently new $260,000 Bearcat SWAT rig capable of withstanding .50 cal hits. We have a recently new high tech mobile command center complete with some pretty sweet comms. We have a recently new mobile high tech haz mat / decon rig. We have a recently new very high tech earthquake proof com's center with full off site redundancy capable of serving all counties within @ 100 miles. I could go on. This is in a community that has traditionally been in the bottom 10% of counties in the US economically; and I would submit has one of the lowest probabilities for any sort of a terrorist event. I can not imagine what the budget influx has been to a metro area like LA, Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, or NY.

[_Stormin_]

Or you just have a congressman that has fought to bring dollars home for such wasteful spending...

All of the local LEOs I know aren't amped up about excess money in the budget for gear and tech.

[J-Dub]

. As I understand it .

Well there's your problem.

When most departments (in my area) are on hiring freeze's, wont allow overtime, ect, I don't see them adding all of this shit that will only require MORE people to run. Or are the federal grants paying for techs to run this stuff too?

If you're so concerned about it, contact your city council, police chief, county commissioner, and sheriff, to voice your opinions. Also contact your local and state reps. I mean, you've already done that right?????????????????????????

[BIGUGLY]

that is either a department that can show a need or they can really spin some grant writing to get that stuff. Heck I'm still waiting on my winter uniform order that was placed in August. Most places are just happy if they can get a few more warm bodies through the academy and not flunk out in field training.

[Mo_Zam_Beek]

Well there's your problem.

When most departments (in my area) are on hiring freeze's, wont allow overtime, ect, I don't see them adding all of this shit that will only require MORE people to run. Or are the federal grants paying for techs to run this stuff too?

If you're so concerned about it, contact your city council, police chief, county commissioner, and sheriff, to voice your opinions. Also contact your local and state reps. I mean, you've already done that right?????????????????????????


I have been involved in some form or another of public policy for more than 10 yrs.

ETA - out that I have come away with the following conclusion - it is more top down than bottom up. In other words if the Feds (or State) want it to happen, they pressure the State, which in turn pressure the municipality. In some cases the municipality can resist for a while, but it requires technical expertise to navigate the system, and the matter never goes away. In time it reappears as a new mandate. Conversely when the municipality wants something, the proposal needs to be framed as a win for either the State or the Feds or both - in as much if not more than for the municipality.

Regarding 'Fed grants that pay for to techs to run this stuff too?' You know how grants work - some are outright funding of material and operations - fewer and further between, some are for material only with op costs on the municipal entity, and many are some form of grant matching from either the state / county / municipality. With respect to your question - yes, and as an example: grants were locally leveraged to create a high tech task force to rival that of a much larger metro area.

Where do you live in FEMA region 8? By definition there has been a lot of money thrown at the region. You've got two states that boarder Canada, (strategic) gas and oil resources in 3 others, major communication interests in CO, major pipeline / utility backbone and rail activity throughout the entire region, and the grand prize of them of all - Buffdale in UT. The spill over throughout the region has been substantial. If your immediate area is an truly an anomaly - why do you feel that is? Are you in NoWheresVille WY? Population - who gives a shit, there is only one street light?

[J-Dub]

You know what, you're right. Every single Police Department in the United States has FLIR, security cameras on every corner, and the ability to tap any phone, computer, ect, at will. Yes crawl back under your rock, its a scary police state out here. They are all watching you. Look out for the stratosphere blimps too lol. I also hear every agency is getting their own KITT car like knight rider lol. Maybe some Darpa mules too.

Im going to keep my opinion of you to myself so I don't get banned.

p.s. I also like how you use your "I cant do anything because its a top down approach by the government" as a long drawn out way of saying "well no, I have not got off my ass and done anything about this. I just wanted to post it on a forum"....good times.

[SeriousStudent]

I have yet to see a law enforcement organization in the US that did not report to an elected or appointed body.

If you have issues, take them up with whatever politician, appointed manager or board that the cops report to. Seriously, that is what it takes, and that is what works. If you want to see a local police department stop doing something, talk to the city manager or mayor or Imperial Grand Vizer.

It does not matter if it's North Dakota or North Korea, there is always a politician in charge. Sometimes that politician is wearing a Chief or Commissioner's uniform, but there is always a suit above them.

Anything else is a waste of your breath. Go to a city council meeting - it's a lot more effective than this stuff. It's always the politicians.