Wednesday, November 14, 2012

All Hail the Police State, part 12

Today brings us news of armored surveillance trucks being deployed around the country.  We've seen local police departments working with the Department of Homeland Security to acquire military hardware, now they are using some of the hardware and other assets to spy on people.

Take this story, for instance.  People are suggesting they are being harassed by the police parking this vehicle in front of their businesses.  Or this account in another city of the same thing.  It seems this may be the newest trend in law enforcement.

That makes sense though as the police take their inspiration from the military.  The military is increasingly using unmanned drones to do surveillance and attacks, so it's reasonable the police would follow suit, especially now that courts are ruling police can place cameras on private property without a warrant and provide evidence to convict people in court.



Expect to see more of this as the technology becomes more affordable.  We are already seeing red light cameras and speed cameras being deployed across the country, more surveillance is going to be the trend.  Of course, don't try to record the cops yourself or it could turn out poorly.   But if you decide to, here are some tips.

You also probably heard about the house that exploded in Indiana and destroyed several nearby houses and killed two people.  It's a terrible tragedy.  What you likely didn't hear is apparently, the Department of Homeland Security has to OK anyone moving back into nearby houses.  Not the fire marshal, not a local home inspector or building contractor, no DHS has to get involved.  Remember a decade ago when DHS didn't exist and we got along fine?  Now they are involved in building code enforcement.

Stay safe out there!

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