Surveillance Cameras To Scan License Plates

[patric]

The license plate scans Oklahoma police indiscriminately collect on millions of law-abiding drivers was exempted from the state's Open Records Act. Other states cry foul on that.

"After six years of litigation, EFF and ACLU SoCal are finally getting access to millions of ALPR scans that will shed light on how the technology is being used, where it's being used, and how it affects people's privacy," said EFF Surveillance Litigation Director Jennifer Lynch. "We persevered and won a tough battle against law enforcement agencies that wanted to keep this information from the public. We have a right to information about how government agencies are using high-tech systems to track our locations, surveil our neighborhoods, and collect private information without our knowledge and consent."

It set a groundbreaking precedent that mass, indiscriminate data collection by the police can't be withheld just because the information may contain some data related to criminal investigations.

https://www.eff.org/press/releases/victory-eff-wins-access-license-plate-reader-data-study-how-law-enforcement-uses
https://www.eff.org/pages/automated-license-plate-readers-alpr

[patric]

Photo from a provided handout.  None of the Oklahoma newspapers that carried it made any mention of wholesale collection of personally identifiable location data (or sale to data merchants), violation of privacy, revenue-collection by quasi-legal entities like the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council or why the state suddenly changed vendors to one that aspires to use video doorbells like Ring as part of its surveillance network.
https://www.cnet.com/news/this-company-could-turn-every-homes-camera-into-a-license-plate-reader/

https://oklahoman.com/article/5676108/oklahoma-inks-deal-for-statewide-camera-network-to-catch-uninsured-drivers

"Part of the training for the ALPR systems, police officers are taught to 'grid' neighborhoods during their downtime – systematically driving up and down every street in an area, indiscriminately scooping up information on vehicles."
https://www.azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/

(The original vendor, Gatso USA: "A private national company with a lucrative contract to catch uninsured drivers in Oklahoma using license-plate scanning cameras faces legal challenges in at least two other states for alleged breaches of motorists' civil rights." 
https://oklahoman.com/article/5572995/company-with-contract-to-catch-uninsured-drivers-in-oklahoma-faces-legal-challenges-in-other-states)

Now who still believes this just about "uninsured drivers?"        (https://brite.app.box.com/v/RekorEdgeSpecSheet).

[tulsabug]

bring it on

[heironymouspasparagus]

bring it on

I gotta get one of those...!

[patric]

More mission creep:

Under House Bill 1814, by Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, work zone speeders and other safety scofflaws could be ticketed even with no law enforcement officer in sight. The bill authorizes the use of automatic cameras and other equipment to catch violators in the act.

McBride has been working on the legislation for several years but told members of the House Transportation Committee on Thursday that "we think we're coming to the end. We think we've got some of the language we need."

The current version of HB 1814 allows the Department of Public Safety to "establish automated traffic control systems in construction or maintenance zones" of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. It gives DPS considerable latitude in determining what those systems would look like and how they would operate.

They would, however, only be in effect while work crews are on the job, and would have to produce clear photographs of drivers and license plates.

The committee advanced McBride's bill on a 9-0 vote, but lawmakers remain uneasy about ticketing motorists solely on videos and photographs. McBride acknowledged changes to HB 1814 are possible, including a provision that the evidence gathered by an automated system could only be used in cases involving actual injury or damage.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/bill-would-crack-down-on-road-construction-zone-violators/article_6644f116-6ca8-11eb-9f28-330eb8bdcd14.html

[patric]

Data privacy bill dead, but author vows to continue to fight

OKLAHOMA CITY — Rep. Collin Walke on Thursday accused the Senate Judiciary chairwoman of putting profits over privacy after she declined to hear his bill that would protect the public against unauthorized data collection.

Walke's House Bill 1602 passed the House on March 4 by a vote of 85-11. Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, is the co-author.

The measure would require companies collecting data on individuals to have the subject opt into it, Walke, D-Oklahoma City, said. It would give consumers in Oklahoma the right to request from companies the information that is being collected and the right to ask that the information be deleted, Walke said.

The measure was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, is chairwoman.

Daniels' refusal to hear the bill silenced the voices of 3.1 million Oklahomans, the constituents of the 85 House members who voted for it, Walke said.

Walke said Daniels "had decided that profits are more important that privacy."

People needed to be educated about how to protect their data "because right now it is the wild west," Walke said.
https://tulsaworld.com/news/data-privacy-bill-dead-but-author-vows-to-continue-to-fight/article_80b440f6-931d-11eb-8993-133efd865cdf.html

[patric]

Who didnt see this coming?



Tulsa County Sheriff's Office cameras would provide limited but critical information, officials say

The camera system that the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office plans to install in unincorporated parts of the county will provide clear images of vehicles and their license plates, but that's about where the data gathering ends.

"It's just a still photo. It's really just a photo of the car," said Holly Beilin, a spokeswoman for Flock Safety, the company providing the cameras. "It's not even a video."

Beilin's remarks were not intended to downplay the significance of the cameras but to allay fears that installing them would be a step toward creating a Big Brother network of nonstop surveillance.

Tulsa County commissioners approved a contract with Flock Safety on Monday on behalf of the Sheriff's Office. Under the terms of the one-year agreement, the Sheriff's Office will partner with the National Police Foundation on a study of the "efficacy of license plate reader technology."

The Sheriff's Office will receive 25 cameras at no cost. Should the office decide to continue using the technology after the pilot program ends, it will cost $2,500 per camera per year with a one-time $250 installation fee for each camera.

"We were always looking at ways that we could utilize technology in what we do to better reduce crimes in neighborhoods and where people live," said TCSO spokeswoman Casey Roebuck. "And I think this is a great asset in terms of doing that because we are able to have basically 24/7 surveillance of areas where we know we need it."

The Sheriff's Office has yet to determine where the cameras will be installed, but they are expected to be up and operating within four to six weeks.

Roebuck said the ultimate goal would be to link into similar camera systems all over the region.

"If you have our 25 cameras linked in with all these other cameras, you are creating basically this web throughout the entire community where we can exchange information and help each other out with the ultimate goal of catching people who are committing crimes," Roebuck said.

Beilin said five or six law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma are using Flock Safety cameras. The company's software is integrated into state and national crime databases to identify vehicles law enforcement agencies are looking to find.

"They can get it (alerts) on their patrol car; they can get it on their phone; they can get it on their laptop," Beilin said. "We call that a hot list alert."

The cameras do not have facial recognition technology, nor are they used to search for expired tags or to assist in the repossession of vehicles, Beilin said.

"We don't want residents to feel like we are just trying to monitor law-abiding citizens, because that is not the case; we are trying to protect law-abiding citizens," Roebuck said.

The launch of the pilot program comes as the Tulsa Police Department moves toward implementation of a Real Time Information Center. That program would use video cameras to monitor high-crime areas in the city.

City officials are expected to meet with residents in the 61st Street and Peoria Avenue neighborhood before the end of the month to discuss possibly installing cameras there.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/tulsa-county-sheriffs-office-cameras-would-provide-limited-but-critical-information-officials-say/article_4f646b64-a557-11ec-b71e-af9d7ad04c52.html

[Red Arrow]

Who didnt see this coming?
Tulsa County Sheriff's Office cameras would provide limited but critical information, officials say
The camera system that the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office plans to install in unincorporated parts of the county will provide clear images of vehicles and their license plates, but that's about where the data gathering ends.
"It's just a still photo. It's really just a photo of the car," said Holly Beilin, a spokeswoman for Flock Safety, the company providing the cameras. "It's not even a video."
Beilin's remarks were not intended to downplay the significance of the cameras but to allay fears that installing them would be a step toward creating a Big Brother network of nonstop surveillance.
Tulsa County commissioners approved a contract with Flock Safety on Monday on behalf of the Sheriff's Office. Under the terms of the one-year agreement, the Sheriff's Office will partner with the National Police Foundation on a study of the "efficacy of license plate reader technology."
The Sheriff's Office will receive 25 cameras at no cost. Should the office decide to continue using the technology after the pilot program ends, it will cost $2,500 per camera per year with a one-time $250 installation fee for each camera.
"We were always looking at ways that we could utilize technology in what we do to better reduce crimes in neighborhoods and where people live," said TCSO spokeswoman Casey Roebuck. "And I think this is a great asset in terms of doing that because we are able to have basically 24/7 surveillance of areas where we know we need it."
The Sheriff's Office has yet to determine where the cameras will be installed, but they are expected to be up and operating within four to six weeks.
Roebuck said the ultimate goal would be to link into similar camera systems all over the region.
"If you have our 25 cameras linked in with all these other cameras, you are creating basically this web throughout the entire community where we can exchange information and help each other out with the ultimate goal of catching people who are committing crimes," Roebuck said.
Beilin said five or six law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma are using Flock Safety cameras. The company's software is integrated into state and national crime databases to identify vehicles law enforcement agencies are looking to find.
"They can get it (alerts) on their patrol car; they can get it on their phone; they can get it on their laptop," Beilin said. "We call that a hot list alert."
The cameras do not have facial recognition technology, nor are they used to search for expired tags or to assist in the repossession of vehicles, Beilin said.
"We don't want residents to feel like we are just trying to monitor law-abiding citizens, because that is not the case; we are trying to protect law-abiding citizens," Roebuck said.
The launch of the pilot program comes as the Tulsa Police Department moves toward implementation of a Real Time Information Center. That program would use video cameras to monitor high-crime areas in the city.
City officials are expected to meet with residents in the 61st Street and Peoria Avenue neighborhood before the end of the month to discuss possibly installing cameras there.
https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/tulsa-county-sheriffs-office-cameras-would-provide-limited-but-critical-information-officials-say/article_4f646b64-a557-11ec-b71e-af9d7ad04c52.html

All the surveillance cameras make for a good NCIS Los Angeles.  Is the gun-play next?

Are we importing this equipment from Vladimir Putin?

[patric]

All the surveillance cameras make for a good NCIS Los Angeles.  Is the gun-play next?

Are we importing this equipment from Vladimir Putin?

The cameras record and transmit license plates and photos of all nearby vehicles and drivers to the operator's database.
There is currently no law regulating how long the information is stored and who it is shared with or sold to.  Other states have put limits on this, but not Oklahoma.
The surveillance is indiscriminate since the system isnt capable of distinguishing good guy from bad; everyone who drives past is cataloged and stored.
Anyone accessing the database can build a profile of any individual: Where and what you drive, how long you are parked, who you associate with, where you work, shop or go to church, etc.  A stalkers dream.


The Sheriff's Office isn't the only local law enforcement agency about to install license plate readers.

The Tulsa Police Department said Thursday it plans to place six to nine Flock Safety cameras in and around the 61st Street and Peoria Avenue neighborhood as part of a yearlong program to test license plate reader technology.

In all, the city will receive 25 cameras to use for one year at no cost to the city.
Deployment of the cameras and other public-safety issues will be discussed at a public meeting 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Spirit Life Church, 5345 S. Peoria Ave. The event is being hosted by Tulsa Police Department and Tulsa Crime Stoppers.

"It's just to get the conversation going with the Hope Valley community and Crime Prevention Network about what's going on in the area — some of the high-profile incidents — but with that tie into this new initiative, which is the Flock Safety camera system using license plate readers," Maj. Luther Breashears said.
The meeting is one of several the Police Department plans to hold across the city in upcoming weeks.

The motion-activated cameras do not record video but instead provide still images around the clock. Using a national crime database integrated into the Flock Safety system, officers are sent alerts via email or text when stolen vehicles or vehicles they are searching for appear on camera.

"Or, if a crime occurs, (we) go back and pull that information and look at cars going through the area and develop good leads on vehicles and suspects," Breashears said.

Breashears said the cameras will be mounted on public utility poles where they will be clearly visible to the public.

Capt. Jacob Johnston said Tulsa Police Department is participating in the same camera program as the Sheriff's Office. Under the terms of the agreement, Tulsa Police Department is partnering with the National Police Foundation on a study of the effectiveness of license plate technology.

The cameras have the ability to read license plates and identify vehicles by their make, model, color and other distinguishing characteristics, Johnston said, providing another tool not just for solving crimes but for responding to Amber and Silver alerts.

"Our policy restricts officers from using the alert as the sole probable cause to stop a car," Johnston said.

Johnston said the city signed the agreement with Flock Safety several months ago and that Tulsa Police Department has used the time since to draw up a policy for how the technology is to be used.

In a separate memorandum of understanding, Tulsa Police Department is working with Flock Safety to receive alerts from neighborhoods that have installed cameras at their own expense.
Johnston said he is aware of about three or four neighborhoods that are interested in sharing their camera images with police.

Breashears said the cameras planned for the 61st and Peoria neighborhood will be installed from Interstate 44 and Riverside Drive to Interstate 44 and Peoria Avenue.
"The reason is, you want to capture vehicles coming into a neighborhood," Breashears said.

"So we are not sitting there just kind of perusing to see who is in the neighborhood. It really ties into what our detectives do already, (getting) leads from the public or camera systems that are already in place from QuikTrip or neighborhoods," Breashears said. "... We often rely on the public to give us leads for car information and we put that out.

Tulsa Police Department is exploring the possibility of establishing a Real Time Information Center that would include video cameras, monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But that program is still in the planning stages.

"I could see a license plate reader technology being utilized in a Real Time Information Center," Johnston said.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/tulsa-police-to-begin-deploying-license-plate-reader-cameras-to-test-new-program/article_24f6ce24-a63a-11ec-b3ba-ab1be722f322.html

[patric]

We're Flocked.

https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/flock_1.pdf

[patric]

"And, we are talking about surveilling citizens, right? We're talking about post-George Floyd climate. So, it's not like the need to have independent oversight somehow went away."

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/city-council-contemplating-putting-police-oversight-to-a-vote-of-the-people/article_5d449214-aeb6-11ec-a81c-8baf4c12710f.html

[swake]

"And, we are talking about surveilling citizens, right? We're talking about post-George Floyd climate. So, it's not like the need to have independent oversight somehow went away."

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/city-council-contemplating-putting-police-oversight-to-a-vote-of-the-people/article_5d449214-aeb6-11ec-a81c-8baf4c12710f.html

Following China's lead here.

[patric]

[patric]

There has not been a lot of discussion about the safety of the data police collect on citizens, or in this case, where the data first goes when you pass by an internet-connected surveillance camera. Whether its Flock, Ring, Hikvision, ADT, Wyze, etc., its likely the data is first sorted by a remote server, and often times those servers are hosted in countries like China.

And we know thats safe...

In what may be one of the largest known breaches of personal data, a hacker has offered to sell a police database that could contain information on perhaps one billion citizens.
Although the country has been at the forefront of collecting masses of information on its citizens, it has been less successful in securing and safeguarding that data. Over the years, authorities in China have become expert at amassing digital and biological information on people's daily activities and social connections. They parse social media posts, collect biometric data, track phones, record video using police cameras and sift through what they obtain to find patterns and aberrations. 
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/05/business/china-police-data-breach.html

[patric]

I just passed the newly-installed tag-reading surveillance camera photographing everyone on Riverside Drive at 49th.
Not quite sure how that keeps us safe... maybe its more of a revenue stream?


The location data industry is an estimated $12 billion market, made up of hundreds of apps that collect location data, data brokers who trade that information among each other, and buyers who look to use that data for purposes such as advertising and law enforcement.

Because the U.S. has no federal privacy laws to rein the industry in, location data sales have gone largely unchecked for the past decade and allowed data brokers to sell millions of people's whereabouts to whoever's buying.

Location data has been sold in the past to help the U.S. military identify Muslim populations and was available on Planned Parenthood visitors. A blog also used location data to out a gay priest in 2021. In 2020, The Wall Street Journal revealed that federal agencies including DHS, ICE and CBP were using commercial location data for immigration enforcement. The documents published by the ACLU on Monday give a glimpse into just how much location data these agencies obtained, and how they viewed using that information.

"The way that they use the phrase 'opt-in,' they're talking about the fact that you have to give permission on your phone for an app to access location," the ACLU's Tewari said, "but it's very clear that when people are doing that, they're not expecting that that's going to be potentially creating this massive database of their entire location history that's available to the government at any time."

"These agencies seem fully aware that they are exploiting a massive privacy disaster in this country," said Nathan Freed Wessler, the ACLU's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project's deputy director. "These agencies understand that the same data dumps that they are able to buy access to for whatever they want can also be bought by anyone else to try to target their agents."

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/18/dhs-location-data-aclu-00046208