Who Watches The Watchers

Homeland Security built domestic surveillance tech into Predator drones

"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has customized its Predator drones, originally built for overseas military operations, to carry out at-home surveillance tasks that have civil libertarians worried: identifying civilians carrying guns and tracking their cell phones, government documents show. The documents provide more details about the surveillance capabilities of the department's unmanned Predator B drones, which are primarily used to patrol the United States' northern and southern borders but have been pressed into service on behalf of a growing number of law enforcement agencies including the FBI, the Secret Service, the Texas Rangers, and local police." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHomeland Security built domestic surveillance tech into Predator drones

West Sacramento Police officer in custody in sex assault, kidnap charges

"A West Sacramento police officer has been arrested for investigation of assault and kidnapping charges involving a half dozen women in the West Capitol Avenue area, the department announced today. The department called an unusual 7 p.m. press conference to announce that Officer Sergio Alvarez (left), who had been with the city of West Sacramento since 2007, allegedly had carried out the acts while performing uniformed patrol duties. The investigation identified six female victims ranging in age from 20 to 47 years old, police said." Continue reading →

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Ed Flynn: Milwaukee Crime Lord, Citizen Disarmament Advocate

"Every city police department is an armed gang organized to implement the will of the municipal corporation that employs them. Under the rule of Ed Flynn the Milwaukee PD has become one of the most malodorous outfits of its kind in the Midwestern United States. Flynn clearly sees himself as commanding an army of occupation. In practical terms, he is less a warlord than a crime lord who presides over an officially sanctioned street gang. Like most petty dictators of his ilk, Flynn is protected by a praetorian guard that will retaliate against people who speak ill of their dear leader." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEd Flynn: Milwaukee Crime Lord, Citizen Disarmament Advocate

Texas bans shooting immigrants from helicopters

"Officials in Texas announced on Thursday that State Troopers would no longer be allowed to open fire on suspects from helicopters after the recent killing of two immigrants. While announcing the new policy, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw insisted that the ban on aerial shootings had nothing to do with the October 2012 death of two Guatemalan immigrants, who were gunned down by troopers in helicopter while they were hiding in the back of a speeding pickup truck near La Joya." Continue reading →

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China ousts police chief ‘who owns hundreds of houses’

"A Chinese police chief has been sacked after reports he owned hundreds of houses and a false identity card, state media said Wednesday in the latest scandal to fuel public outrage over corruption. Zhao Haibin was stripped of his public offices for 'engaging in business deals using a fake identity card', the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Lufeng city government in the southern province of Guangdong. The case is the latest of a series involving officials owning multiple houses with different identity cards and residence permits." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina ousts police chief ‘who owns hundreds of houses’

10 things the FBI won’t fire you for

"A year-in-review email recently circulated to employees at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that leaked online this week (PDF) reveals a series of disciplinary actions taken against agents during 2012. While some of the agents’ transgressions were entertaining for how out-of-line they got, it’s also particularly interesting to highlight what the bureau does and does not consider a fireable offense. While things like committing check fraud, spying on a supervisor and purchasing child pornography absolutely did trigger terminations in 2012, here are 10 other things the FBI apparently will not fire you for." Continue reading →

Continue Reading10 things the FBI won’t fire you for

2 LAPD officers allegedly forced sex acts on women

"Two Los Angeles Police Department officers are under investigation for allegedly preying on women over a period of five years, luring them into an unmarked car and forcing them to perform sex acts, according to court records. The pair repeatedly used the threat of jail to get women into their car and drove them to secluded areas where one of the officers demanded sex while the other kept watch, the warrant alleges. Valenzuela and Nichols worked together until recently as narcotics officers in the Hollywood Division. Investigators have identified four women who encountered the pair and made similar independent accusations against them." Continue reading →

Continue Reading2 LAPD officers allegedly forced sex acts on women

WA Dems Sponsor Bill Allowing Police To Search Gunowners’ Homes Once Per Year

"A Washington state bill sponsored by liberal Democrats contained a little-noticed provision that would have called for the police to have the right to search private citizens’ home once per year if they own certain types of guns. In other words, kiss the Fourth Amendment goodbye. Liberal lawmakers behind the bill claim they have no knowledge of the provision – which, of course, begs the question as to how the provision got into the bill in the first place." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWA Dems Sponsor Bill Allowing Police To Search Gunowners’ Homes Once Per Year

Harper government kills controversial Canadian Internet surveillance bill

"Bill C-30 caused a furor when it was introduced a year ago this week. The legislation would have permitted police and other government officials to compel Internet service providers to disclose identifying information linked to clients’ ISP addresses without a warrant. Telecommunications companies would also have been required to collect and store data on clients’ digital activities. The law was fiercely opposed by federal and provincial privacy commissioners as a fundamental intrusion on privacy rights. Instead, the government has carved out a sliver of the bill to ensure warrantless wiretaps during emergencies remain legal." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHarper government kills controversial Canadian Internet surveillance bill