back to article US cities promise to crack down on police surveillance tech

A handful of US cities are banding together in an effort to change the way police acquire and use surveillance technology. The cities in the group – including New York, Washington DC, Seattle, and Milwaukee – say they will introduce bills to place additional reporting and approval requirements for the surveillance tools their …

  1. Preston Munchensonton
    Black Helicopters

    The rules could also, however, potentially cause legal problems for departments due to the strict secrecy requirements that the makers of the surveillance tools place on customers.

    Or more importantly, it may force departments to stop using the tools that have such onerous, non-transparent restrictions. Either way, big brother will get a kick in the nuts.

    1. Graham Marsden
      Unhappy

      Unfortunately, given that it's the USA, the "rights" of big corporations will naturally be paramount and their demands for secrecy will be upheld for fear of them suing everyone else into oblivion

  2. Mark 85

    I wish those cities luck....

    but then there's the call in the middle of the night to certain officials about conversations that <cough> "someone" <cough> stumbled across and overheard and there will be smiles (some nervous) and joy among the big brother types once again.

    1. ecofeco Silver badge

      Re: I wish those cities luck....

      Pretty much. After all, the police ARE the biggest gangs.

  3. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    I can see why they want to reduce Police surveilance

    https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-future/police-accidentally-record-themselves-conspiring-fabricate-criminal-charges-against

    1. ecofeco Silver badge

      Re: I can see why they want to reduce Police surveilance

      Don't forget the killing of unarmed people now being caught on camera as well.

  4. Old Used Programmer

    Some "bugs" are "features"....

    I would class the past point in the story as a feature, not a bug.

  5. JustWondering
    Facepalm

    Sure!

    Some rules will stop them because everybody knows the police always obey the law.

  6. Richard Jones 1

    Perhaps if the US Stopped Recruiting Cowboys?

    It used to be said that while the UK had the best justice system money could buy the US had the best police forces money could buy. The commercial terms might have adjusted slightly but the news clips do suggest that at least a part of the US police leave something to be desired, e.g. like brains and thought processes.

    I huge improvement in recruiting and vetting appears to be needed so that a wide range of post holders understand what their job really is and their responsibilities for doing the role.

    Only then tools should be supplied for use by trained, up-skilled and vetted staff for the purposes and only the purposes agreed.

  7. earl grey
    Mushroom

    Oh goody, six cities

    Six cities out of 60 thousand cities, untold towns and burgs. How about the lazy wankers in congress get on the stick and approach this properly.

    I can only dream (and get on someone's list for this).

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