Law Enforcement Agencies Conceal Surveillance Tech Use to Avoid Scrutiny and Public Backlash
Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are actively concealing their use of surveillance technologies, such as Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), cell-site simulators, and facial recognition, to avoid public scrutiny and negative public relations. Recent reports indicate that police departments are instructing officers not to mention ALPR usage during vehicle stops or in official reports unless absolutely necessary. For example, a county in Iowa's policy for Flock ALPR cameras explicitly states, 'DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE' and 'DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE IN YOUR REPORT OR COMPLAINT UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.' Similarly, Houston police are advised to be 'as vague as permissible' about using Flock systems. This practice of concealment is not new, with historical examples including AT&T's Hemisphere tool and the use of cell-site simulators, where evidence was often 'laundered' through parallel construction or cases were dropped to avoid revealing the technology's use.
