Archive for the 'Police State' Category
Meet the Prison Bankers Who Profit From the Inmates
October 1st, 2014Even by Cryptogon standards, this one is shocking. Via: Time: JPay and other prison bankers collect tens of millions of dollars every year from inmates’ families in fees for basic financial services. To make payments, some forego medical care, skip utility bills and limit contact with their imprisoned relatives, the Center for Public Integrity found […]
California Governor Vetoes Bill Limiting Drone Surveillance
September 30th, 2014Via: CBS: Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would have placed strict limits on law enforcement agencies using unmanned aerial drones for surveillance. The governor’s office announced that the bill was one of more than a dozen pieces of legislation he vetoed Sunday. AB1327 by Republican Assemblyman Jeff Gorrell of Camarillo would have […]
Los Angeles County Planning Massive Biometric Database
September 30th, 2014Via: KPCC: Without notice to the public, Los Angeles County law enforcement officials are preparing to widen what personal information they collect from people they encounter in the field and in jail – by building a massive database of iris scans, fingerprints, mug shots, palm prints and, potentially, voice recordings. The new database of personal […]
Mississippi Sued Over ‘Hellish’ Conditions in For-Profit Prison
September 29th, 2014Via: CommonDreams: Denial of food and medical care. Cells and floors soiled with blood, urine, and feces. Excessive force by prison guards. Weeks, months, and years in solitary confinement. These are the conditions found at a “special needs” for-profit prison, the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, which is tasked by the state’s department of corrections with […]
School Districts Got Military Gear from Pentagon
September 26th, 2014Via: CBS: A CBS News review shows campus police across the country have received millions of dollars worth of military gear from the Pentagon. Now, there are calls to halt those transfers, even though some agencies say the weapons are necessary. CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports from the University of Texas, Arlington, that the […]
FBI Plans Rapid DNA Dragnets
September 24th, 2014Via: Nextgov: The FBI is preparing to accelerate the collection of DNA profiles for the government’s massive new biometric identification database. Developers of portable DNA analysis machines have been invited to a Nov. 13 presentation to learn about the bureau’s vision for incorporating their technology into the FBI’s new database. So-called rapid DNA systems can […]
Pennsylvania: Large Manhunt Underway for Suspect Who Ambushed Police
September 21st, 2014Via: AP: Nine days after a gunman went on a deadly ambush at a state police barracks, authorities said Sunday they have recovered one of the weapons he was carrying and believe they are hot on his trail as he travels on foot through rugged forests in northeastern Pennsylvania. Investigators said they believe the suspect […]
Los Angeles Unified School District’s Armored Vehicle and Grenade Launchers
September 16th, 2014Via: CBS: Los Angeles Unified School District police officials are considering whether they need the armored vehicle and grenade launchers they received from the U.S. military. The military hardware at the disposal of LAUSD police officers includes a 20-foot-long, 14-ton armored transport vehicles, much like the ones used to move Marines in Iraq combat zones. […]
Local and State Police Involved in Sensitive Hemisphere Program
September 14th, 2014Via: The Declaration: Federal, state, and local police, with the assistance of phone company employees embedded within DEA narcotics intelligence units, are utilizing an unclassified but “law enforcement sensitive” program, known as Hemisphere, which provides nearly unfettered access to an enormous database containing call records of all telephone calls passing through phone company switches likely […]
Mysterious Men Dropping from Helicopters to Chop Down NorCal Marijuana Grows
September 13th, 2014Via: CBS: There’s been some mysterious activity in the skies over Mendocino County lately. Folks who live there want to know: Who are the armed men dropping out of helicopters to chop down their marijuana grows? They dress in combat camouflage, some of them hide their faces. This summer, a group of men in Mendocino […]
