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Oakland to Transform Red Light Cameras Into Spy Cameras
Oakland, California to lobby legislature to allow 24-hour video surveillance with red light camera system. Redflex has been lobbying for Homeland Security Contracts (see link below article). If we want any privacy rights we must fight this one. Please contact city hall and demand that these cameras not be used for spying on citizens.
Time for some activism work Oakland. Please call
Time for some activism work Oakland. Please call
Privacy advocates have long viewed red light cameras with the suspicion that the devices were the first step down a path of increased surveillance. Those fears may come true as the city of Oakland, California has revealed that it is working with the state legislature to secure a change in the law that will allow red light cameras to become full-scale surveillance cameras. In a memo from the Oakland Police Department dated June 26, Police Chief Wayne G. Tucker recommended that the city's lobbyist be ordered to advocate a new law in Sacramento.
"The legislation would also allow the use of those (red light camera) images for evidentiary purposes other than the enforcement of red light violations, such as reckless driving, assaults, public nuisance activity, drug dealing, etc."
The request came in conjunction with a plan to allow camera vendor Redflex to operate 20 video cameras at intersections 24-hours a day. The city council unanimously approved this ticketing contract with the Australian company on July 17 which is expected to generate several million in new revenue.
Because California law currently forbids the use of red light cameras for spying, the proposed ordinance urged deletion of the following passage from the Vehicle Code Section 21455.5: "Confidential information obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles for the administration or enforcement of this article shall be held confidential, and may not be used for any other purpose."
Oakland recommends this passage be replaced with, "Photographic records may be used by law enforcement agencies for any law enforcement purpose." One observer suggested Oakland's red light program may be a Trojan Horse.
"While certain municipalities have installed surveillance cameras in high crime areas on the theory that the public has no expectation of privacy on public property, it has also been recognized that these cameras can be directed at targets located on private property for the 'private and pleasurable' purposes of camera operators," OneCitizenSpeaking wrote. "There does not appear to be any apparent safeguards or penalties associated with this unauthorized spying on private citizens which is totally unrelated to public necessity and which is unlikely to be discovered by abused and aggrieved members of the public."
A full copy of the memo is available in a 660k PDF file at the source link below.
Source: Agenda Report (City of Oakland, 7/17/2007)
About Redflex:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2006-07-04-redflex-usat_x.htm
"The legislation would also allow the use of those (red light camera) images for evidentiary purposes other than the enforcement of red light violations, such as reckless driving, assaults, public nuisance activity, drug dealing, etc."
The request came in conjunction with a plan to allow camera vendor Redflex to operate 20 video cameras at intersections 24-hours a day. The city council unanimously approved this ticketing contract with the Australian company on July 17 which is expected to generate several million in new revenue.
Because California law currently forbids the use of red light cameras for spying, the proposed ordinance urged deletion of the following passage from the Vehicle Code Section 21455.5: "Confidential information obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles for the administration or enforcement of this article shall be held confidential, and may not be used for any other purpose."
Oakland recommends this passage be replaced with, "Photographic records may be used by law enforcement agencies for any law enforcement purpose." One observer suggested Oakland's red light program may be a Trojan Horse.
"While certain municipalities have installed surveillance cameras in high crime areas on the theory that the public has no expectation of privacy on public property, it has also been recognized that these cameras can be directed at targets located on private property for the 'private and pleasurable' purposes of camera operators," OneCitizenSpeaking wrote. "There does not appear to be any apparent safeguards or penalties associated with this unauthorized spying on private citizens which is totally unrelated to public necessity and which is unlikely to be discovered by abused and aggrieved members of the public."
A full copy of the memo is available in a 660k PDF file at the source link below.
Source: Agenda Report (City of Oakland, 7/17/2007)
About Redflex:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2006-07-04-redflex-usat_x.htm
For more information:
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/18/1886.asp
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You have no expectation of privacy in a public place. That has been settled law for centuries.
Every time you walk down the street, go inside a store, or eat in a restaurant, you may be photographed or videotaped. That's the law.
If you are law-abiding person, you have no problem. If you are a drug dealing scumbag, you should worry.
Every time you walk down the street, go inside a store, or eat in a restaurant, you may be photographed or videotaped. That's the law.
If you are law-abiding person, you have no problem. If you are a drug dealing scumbag, you should worry.
A police state.
Many of us don't want a police state. And by the way, if you are a marijuana dealing "scumbag" in Oakland, you are the police's lowest priority.
I see crazy shit go down in Oakland every day, and there are not enough security cameras to catch it all, and certainly not enough staff to watch the amount of video and respond to it as would be needed. Instead, Oakland, California, and the US, if they are to exist as governments, should be validating their existence by providing services such as housing, food, education, and positive activities that keep people busy and discourage them from thinking about committing crimes.
Many of us don't want a police state. And by the way, if you are a marijuana dealing "scumbag" in Oakland, you are the police's lowest priority.
I see crazy shit go down in Oakland every day, and there are not enough security cameras to catch it all, and certainly not enough staff to watch the amount of video and respond to it as would be needed. Instead, Oakland, California, and the US, if they are to exist as governments, should be validating their existence by providing services such as housing, food, education, and positive activities that keep people busy and discourage them from thinking about committing crimes.
For more information:
http://666.calm
...Ergo, why does this bother anyone? You're in public, you have no expectation of privacy.
The use of CCTVs in England has been lauded as a reason for a general decline in crime. Furthermore, 72% of Americans actually approve the use of security cameras.
Until the government installs cameras on/in private property it is not an issue.
The use of CCTVs in England has been lauded as a reason for a general decline in crime. Furthermore, 72% of Americans actually approve the use of security cameras.
Until the government installs cameras on/in private property it is not an issue.
When you go out in public there is an expectation of that the police and others will not be MONITERING everything you say and do.
New hate speech laws will find a criminal in everyone! If you say dang those republicans or democrats they can go to @#%*. You could be arrested for hate speech in new laws recently passed. Now tell me who has never cursed their government? But there is no free speech now, and the cameras are monitoring everything you say and do.
You can be arrested for J walking, holding a sign, or simple talking to you friend.
They will be listening if you use any hate speech, cameras will be key-word prompted and the police will be dispatched out to get you. You could use the word bomb - because that concert was the 'bomb' and then say yeah my dad wants to visit but he is scared of a 'hijacking' and bye-bye you terrorist off to jail or a secret prison.
They will be watching if you don’t stop completely on a right turn on red light at 9pm, or if you entered the crosswalk when the red hand starts to flash.
Current laws in the patriot act, hr 5122 and NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51 all state new definitions of what a terrorist / criminal is. These new broad terms make everyone a criminal and with billions of new funding they have to earn their paycheck.
They of course they must have a DNA sample as approved last year Proposition 69. Even if they let you go you and your family and friends will be forever on the terrorist watch list. Is this what our constitution meant when is said “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”?
New hate speech laws will find a criminal in everyone! If you say dang those republicans or democrats they can go to @#%*. You could be arrested for hate speech in new laws recently passed. Now tell me who has never cursed their government? But there is no free speech now, and the cameras are monitoring everything you say and do.
You can be arrested for J walking, holding a sign, or simple talking to you friend.
They will be listening if you use any hate speech, cameras will be key-word prompted and the police will be dispatched out to get you. You could use the word bomb - because that concert was the 'bomb' and then say yeah my dad wants to visit but he is scared of a 'hijacking' and bye-bye you terrorist off to jail or a secret prison.
They will be watching if you don’t stop completely on a right turn on red light at 9pm, or if you entered the crosswalk when the red hand starts to flash.
Current laws in the patriot act, hr 5122 and NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51 all state new definitions of what a terrorist / criminal is. These new broad terms make everyone a criminal and with billions of new funding they have to earn their paycheck.
They of course they must have a DNA sample as approved last year Proposition 69. Even if they let you go you and your family and friends will be forever on the terrorist watch list. Is this what our constitution meant when is said “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”?
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