Urban Shield Trust Fund Pays for Trips to Israel and Customized Urban Shield Coins

Urban Shield Trust Fund paid for trips to Israel, parking tickets and paint jobs

On July 31, 2007, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved the establishment of “a cash fund in which to deposit donations, sponsorship and exhibitor fees and make payments for associated costs;” for Urban Shield.

Expenses and revenues for that trust fund were received in response to a public records request to the Alameda County Sheriff.

In 2008 and 2009, the Urban Shield trust fund lists $7,634 for legal expenses. However, the nature of those expenses was redacted by the Alameda County Sheriff.

Two round trip tickets to Israel were expended from the Urban Shield trust fund in 2008, but there was no information on who traveled to Israel. In 2010, nearly $75,000 was spent from the Urban Shield trust fund on travel to Israel and Jordan. Travelers included Undersheriff Rich Lucia, Assistant Sheriff Brett Keteles, and Assistant Sheriff Dennis Houghtelling. There was an additional expense of $1,076 for “presentation material for the King of Jordan.’

In March 2011, the Urban Shield trust fund paid for at least two parking citations in Oakland.

In October 2012, the Urban Shield trust fund paid $9,000 to paint humvees, probably the two Alameda County Sheriff humvees with mounted machine guns (pictured above).

From 2010 to 2016, Urban Shield spent $112,723 on customized Urban Shield coins.

In 2016, the Urban Shield trust fund paid the $500 deductible for a car hit during Urban Shield.

Revenue for Urban Shield comes from vendors at the event and sponsors looking to sell their products to law enforcement.

The largest single contributor was defense contractor BAE with $120,000 in 2009.

Motorola has contributed $74,000 over the years. FLIR Systems has contributed $46,000 over the years.

Other large contributors include Verizon Wireless ($22k), Taser ($38k), Tactical Command Industries ($30k), Sig Sauer ($31k), San Francisco Police Credit Union ($34k), L.N. Curtis and Sons ($45k), Adamson Police Products ($30k) and Corizon ($24k), the controversial provider of health care services at Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail.

Blackwater Training Center contributed $10k in 2008.

Facebook, which has been in the news recently for its leaks of data on millions of people, contributed a total of $20,000 in 2015 and 2016.

Sources:
Urban Shield Trust Fund Revenue, 2007-2014
Urban Shield Trust Fund Expenses, 2007-2014
Urban Shield Trust Fund Revenue, 2015
Urban Shield Trust Fund Expenses, 2015
Urban Shield Trust Fund Revenue, 2016
Urban Shield Trust Fund Expenses, 2016

For links to sources, please visit:

The Center for Human Rights and Privacy
Surveillance, Civil Liberties, Human Rights, Privacy