by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project:
(404 Media) A California police department searched AI-enabled, automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras in relation to an “immigration protest,” according to internal police data obtained by 404 Media. The data also shows that police departments and sheriff offices around the country have repeatedly tapped into the cameras inside California, made by a company called Flock, on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), digitally reaching into the sanctuary state in a data sharing practice that experts say is illegal.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
Flock allows participating agencies to search not only cameras in their jurisdiction or state, but nationwide, meaning that local police that may work directly with ICE on immigration enforcement are able to search cameras inside California or other states. But this data sharing is only possible because California agencies have opted-in to sharing it with agencies in other states, making them legally responsible for the data sharing.
The news raises questions about whether California agencies are enforcing the law on their own data sharing practices, threatens to undermine the state’s perception as a sanctuary state, and highlights the sort of surveillance or investigative tools law enforcement may deploy at immigration related protests. Over the weekend, millions of people attended No Kings protests across the U.S. 404 Media’s findings come after we revealed police were searching cameras in Illinois on behalf of ICE, and then Cal Matters found local law enforcement agencies in California were searching cameras for ICE too.
“I think especially in this current political climate where the government is taking extreme measures to crack down on civil liberties, especially immigrants’ rights being one of those, you can easily see how ALPRs, which is an extremely invasive technology, could be weaponized against that community,” Jennifer Pinsof, a senior staff attorney at activist organization the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), told 404 Media.
404 Media obtained the data through a public records request with Redlands Police Department in California. The collection of spreadsheets comprises the agency’s “Network Audit” of what other agencies have searched using its Flock systems since June 1, 2024 and the reason the agency provided for doing so.
The data shows that on February 3, the Escondido Police Department in California searched Flock cameras for an “immigration protest.” Days earlier the police department said it impounded 11 cars that blocked traffic and endangered the public. “The Escondido Police Department and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the rights of individuals to express their views peacefully,” Erik Witholt, the interim Escondido police chief, said, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. “However, when drivers choose to block roadways, occupy intersections and commit other acts that pose a clear and present danger to attendees and the public, we will act to restore order and safety,” Witholt said.
Read More @ TheFreeThoughtProject.com
