Mask Up for San Diego's Growing Surveillance State

sea turtle / Foter

The privacy advocates at the Electronic Frontier Foundation are channeling their inner geeks to tie this week's San Diego Comic-Con to a protest against that city's growing snooping regime. "Put on your Batman mask or Sith paint for the police surveillance camera network," urges EFF via Twitter.

Just know where to stop, unlike the guy in the photo.

Anyway Operation Secure San Diego gives police in their cars access to video feeds—not just from public cameras, but from a growing list of private outfits that are cooperating with the cops. According to the program's website:

The SDPD in conjunction with the Hotel Indigo is starting "Operation Secure San Diego". This is the first private group allowing SDPD to have access to their live video transmissions. How this works is that from inside their vehicle, officers will be able to connect to the live video feed used by Hotel Indigo and they will be able to see what is going on inside the business when a crime is occurring in a real time environment.

This method of supplying video to our first responder while enroute to the call is a force multiplier that will serve as both a deterrent and a crime solving tool - ultimately making our community a safer place.

The SDPD is encouraging additional partners throughout this pilot program.

The SDPD promises that it has "procedures in place that allow the viewing only when summoned to the Hotel Indigo (or any additional partner) for a service call." But privacy activist Jeff Hammett filed a public records request for those documents and was told just last week:

There are no responsive documents for your request to any copies of procedures regarding viewing these camera feeds. Operation Secure San Diego is still in the development stages. There are no procedures at this time.

Well, no doubt they'll get around to it. Eventually. The Hotel Indigo has allowed police access to its video feed since 2010, but these things take time.

Until then, you may want to take a gander at the locations of cameras Hammett has already plotted, to which those procedures will, someday, apply.

And if you're in San Diego this week, you have as good an excuse as you'll ever get to wear a mask and hide from prying eyes.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Holy banana hammock, Batman!

[juris imprudent]

Sure, the alt-text says "no", but what does Jesse say?

[Cytotoxic]

In itself letting police look at the footage of the crime as it's happening doesn't seem like a bad idea. Now tell me why I'm wrong.

[Hugh Akston]

Your sentence has the dependent clause before the independent clause?

[Fist of Etiquette]

I think the concern is that's not all state agents will use this for. And they're right.

[Brett L]

"Holy shit, smoking fine girl outside the donut shop. I'm going on break!"

[kilroy]

Officer 223 this is Officer 59. The camera behind you and to your right has a clear view of your citizen ass-kicking. Please be advised to obscure the view and collect the evidence before departing.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Operation Secure San Diego is still in the development stages. There are no procedures at this time.

So, if there are no procedures in place, can abuses still be played off with a terse "procedures were followed" or not?

[GILMORE]

Things said to "Batman on roller-blades" =

- "Is that a boomerang-grappling-hook in your utility belt, or are you just happy to see me?"

- "Your Scrote-Tote is no shield against my Lycra-shredding claws, my Nocturnal Flying-Mammal Friend!"

- "Bruce! I had no idea you were Jewish!"

[db]

"I don't know if it's art, but I like it!"

[Corning]

Mask doe snot work dude.

Everyone knows you are Bruce Wayne.

[Scott S.]

Does the Comic-con still happen on the same week as San Diego's gay pride events? It did when I lived there years ago and it was hilarious.

[juris imprudent]

Nope, pride was last week. I think it was Comic-con that moved their date.

[keddaw]

You stay classy San Diego.