Category: Police

New York Police scrap 36,000 Windows smartphones • The Register


The New York Police Department will scrap 36,000 smartphones, thanks to a monumental purchasing cock-up by a billionaire’s daughter.The city spent millions on the phones back in October 2016 as part of its drive to bring the police force into the 21st century. And the woman behind the purchase – Deputy Commissioner for Information Technology, Jessica Tisch – praised them for their ability to quickly send 911 alerts to officers close to an incident.There was only one problem: Tisch chose Windows-based Lumia 830 and Lumia 640 XL phones, and Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 8.1 in July.

Source: New York Police scrap 36,000 Windows smartphones • The Register

Another staged body cam leads to 43 more dropped Baltimore prosecutions | Ars Technica UK


A Baltimore Police Department officer has “self-reported” a staged body cam video. This brings the number of fabricated body cam videos rocking the agency to at least three. In this most recent instance alone, 43 cases are being dropped or not prosecuted, the state’s top prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, said.In all, more than 100 cases have been dropped or will be. Dozens of additional cases are being investigated because of three body cam videos fabricated by the Baltimore Police Department. The first video was disclosed a month ago. Dozens of closed cases are also being re-examined, state prosecutors said. They said they are examining hundreds of cases involving officers connected to the videos.

Source: Another staged body cam leads to 43 more dropped Baltimore prosecutions | Ars Technica UK

Palantir’s Law Enforcement Data Stranglehold Isn’t Good For Police Or The Policed | Techdirt

Mark Harris of Wired has put together a fascinating expose of the company’s work with US law enforcement based on documents obtained via FOIA requests. What’s uncovered does little to alter Palantir’s reputation as an enemy of personal privacy. What’s added to this rep isn’t any more flattering: the documents show Palantir handles data carelessly, ties customers into overpriced support/upgrades, and otherwise acts as though it has to answer to no one.In one case, files marked as sensitive by a Long Beach drug squad detective were still accessible by other officers who shouldn’t have had access. Multiple emails to Palantir failed to resolve the issue. Making it worse was the fact the problem couldn’t be contained in-house. When agencies sign up for Palantir services, they’re given heavily-discounted rates if they allow their data to be shared with other law enforcement agencies. Detectives hoping to protect sensitive sources and undercover cops from outside access were finding out their employers had signed that option away in exchange for cheaper initial pricing.

Source: Palantir’s Law Enforcement Data Stranglehold Isn’t Good For Police Or The Policed | Techdirt

34 criminal cases tossed after body cam footage shows cop planting drugs | Ars Technica UK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBic61sVrFI

“It is incumbent upon us as prosecutors to be the ministers of justice.”

Source: 34 criminal cases tossed after body cam footage shows cop planting drugs | Ars Technica UK

Court: State Not Justified In Seizing Grandmother’s House After Her Son Sold $140 Of Marijuana | Techdirt

Pennsylvania has some of the worst civil asset forfeiture laws in the country. At the top of list of perverse incentives? 100% of proceeds go to the agency that seized the property. As a result, all sorts of abusive forfeitures occur. In one case, law enforcement seized a couple’s house because of a single $40 drug sale by their son.

Source: Court: State Not Justified In Seizing Grandmother’s House After Her Son Sold $140 Of Marijuana | Techdirt

We are ‘heroes,’ says police chief whose force frisked a photographer • The Register


Brit plod used Terrorism Act to collar snapper. Hello, 2005

Source: We are ‘heroes,’ says police chief whose force frisked a photographer • The Register

US border cops must get warrants to search citizens’ gadgets – draft bipartisan law emerges • The Register

Right now, anyone – citizen or not – entering the Land of the FreeTM can be subject to warrantless probing of their electronics, which can be seized for further study in the lab for months if necessary. It’s just that citizens can’t be prevented from entering their home country: you can have your equipment taken and scanned, you can be questioned for hours, but you’re still ultimately allowed in. Foreigners, on the other hand, have no such protections: they can be searched, grilled, and sent back the way they came, if immigration officials deem you to be a problem.
The draft legislation – which is still in its early stages – is essentially designed to make it a lot tougher to stop and search citizens on the spot when they return to the US of A. However, the bill is weighed down with one major caveat. If officers have serious concerns about a traveller but have no time to get a warrant, they can seize the electronics and later apply for a warrant retroactively. If the warrant application fails, all the information harvested must be destroyed and may not be used in further prosecutions.

Source: US border cops must get warrants to search citizens’ gadgets – draft bipartisan law emerges • The Register

Lawsuit: Police Destroyed Farm House To Capture Homeless Man Armed With An Ice Cream Bar | Techdirt

All of this military-like activity was implemented and completed without Jessen’s request, approval, or consent. Jessens are informed and believe the training operation was undertaken because the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department and/or Clovis Police Department had found, by accident, the perfect location to conduct a training exercise on a rural home, on a dead-end street, in rural Fresno County, where “civilians” were not present, “civilians” were not going to congregate, “civilians” were not going to observe or interfere with the military training assault on the Jessen’s home and the situation posed no risk of injury to the officers. The Fresno County Sheriff‘s Department and Clovis Police Department seized upon this fortuitous opportunity to engage in a real-life training exercise.

Source: Lawsuit: Police Destroyed Farm House To Capture Homeless Man Armed With An Ice Cream Bar | Techdirt

Shannon Hurd Got a Life Sentence for Stealing $14. Then He Died in Prison From Untreated Cancer.


Despite his relatively minor crime, at trial the state of Louisiana cast Shannon as “the worst kind of defendant. He’s a predator.”

Source: Shannon Hurd Got a Life Sentence for Stealing $14. Then He Died in Prison From Untreated Cancer.