Legal
Germany Approves Regulation To Allow Expansion Of Video Surveillance Network
Germany’s strict privacy laws prevent the widespread usage of surveillance cameras, but the coalition government on Wednesday approved regulation that could change things. Germany would allow more video surveillance in public places, under a draft law passed by the cabinet on Wednesday, reflecting growing security fears in a country that has for decades been wary of police intrusion. The bill was agreed in principle by the parties in Angela Merkel’s coalition last month, well before Monday’s deadly truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin that was claimed by Islamic State.
Bill Designed To Expedite Cross-Border Travel With Canada Passes Congress
A bipartisan bill designed to improve cross-border travel between Canada and the U.S. has passed Congress and is headed to the president’s desk. The bill, officially known as the ?Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act? aims to streamline travel and commerce between the U.S. and Canada by allowing for more pre-clearance of passengers traveling between countries. Pre-clearance is when passengers undergo border inspections prior to traveling and can help to avoid bottlenecks at border-crossings.
SIA Hails Passage Of Power And Security Systems Act
SIA has led a coalition in support of extending the current exemption for security and life safety products, which is set to expire on July 1, 2017. Without an extension, manufacturers must redesign EPS products to meet the ?no-load? standard, more than doubling their cost unnecessarily. H.R. 6375 is supported by SIA, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and the Electronic Security Association, which have also worked with energy efficiency community on the common-sense provision.
New England Town Councilor Proposes Drones Watch For Crime; ACLU Objects
A city councilor wants to deploy drones to monitor high-crime neighborhoods and provide an extra measure of security at major community events – an idea that raises privacy concerns with the ACLU of Massachusetts. Brian K. Gomes’ proposal, which is not expected to be heard until next month or possibly January, calls for a meeting between the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods and Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro to discuss the use of drones. “I think it can be a crime fighter, undercover surveillance in neighborhoods across the city where we have problems,” Gomes said. “It’s another tool for the Police Department to fight crime.”
Evidence Lost? Utah Law No Help When Video Or Audio Not Saved
If a government agency loses a document or video that you need to help prove your case in court, you?re just out of luck. In several recent Northern Utah cases, data wanted as evidence in criminal or civil cases could not be produced by the agencies responsible. And watchers of government records access issues say there?s simply no recourse for anyone burned by the loss of records.
Drone Defense: Not So Fast Says FAA
Unmanned Aircraft are definitely a transformative technology. They open up the lowest parts of the airspace to productive use. At the same time, they also create new problems for privacy and security. As a result, interest in “drone defense” technology has been skyrocketing. It seems that there is a new innovative defensive system unveiled by entrepreneurs on a weekly basis. A new letter form the Office of Airports Safety and Standards, however, indicates that the FAA would like to slow down and coordinate this new technological stampede.
To Body Cam Or Not To Body Cam – One Police Department’s Question
There is no clear picture whether the Huntington (West Virginia) Police Department can, or even should, invest in body-worn cameras for its officers as circumstances now stand, Chief Joe Ciccarelli said. The potential cost – in purchase, maintenance and storage – could potentially drain hundreds of thousands of dollars from the department, Ciccarelli said, with the do’s and don’t’s still shrouded in a legal gray area.
Testing Body Cameras In St. Paul MN
Minnesota?s complex debate about police body-cameras takes a new turn in St. Paul Wednesday. The City Council will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. to consider the draft policy released last week by the St. Paul Police Department governing use of the cameras that are typically clipped to an officer?s uniform. In a discussion that involves competing interests and tradeoffs, there?s lots to digest as the department prepares, beginning next week, to test two camera systems over 60 days in its Western District.
PA State Senate Bill Allows Police To Deny Requests For Officer Video
Legislation approved by the Pennsylvania state Senate on Wednesday would let police departments across the state refuse public requests for copies of video recordings by officers, unless a court orders the release. The bill sets a sweeping policy to exempt recordings from body cameras and dashboard cameras from public records requests in Pennsylvania.
Beijing Threatens Legal Action Over Webcam Claims
The Chinese Ministry of Justice has threatened legal action against “organisations and individuals” making “false claims” about the security of Chinese-made devices. It follows a product recall from the Chinese electronics firm Hangzhou after its web cameras were used in a massive web attack last week.
FAA Deputy Administrator Says Privacy, Preemption Are Two Biggest UAS Issues
Marke ?Hoot? Gibson, the deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, said two of the biggest issues facing the FAA related to unmanned aviation systems, or drones, are privacy and preemption. Gibson said the FAA is not in the business of dealing with privacy, but there is a long history of case law dealing with traditional aviation. ?However, it has generally dealt with noise and airports —this is personal use— it comes right in your back yard,? he said, referring to unmanned aircraft.
Security Camera Registration Program Launched in Beaverton (Ore.)
Police in Beaverton (Ore.) have launched a security camera registration initiative here in an effort to fight crime, including acts of terrorism. ?Surveillance video is huge,? Beaverton Police Officer Jeremy Shaw told KATU News about the potential for surveillance video to help solve crimes and find suspects. ?I mean it puts those people at that […]
Will Auto Insurance Companies Utilize Questionable Baltimore Surveillance Tech?
As the Baltimore Police Department considers whether to continue using a private aerial surveillance program to fight crime, the man who owns the technology is looking to court other clients in private industry. Ross McNutt, president of Persistent Surveillance Systems, said he is considering marketing his company’s ability to collect aerial footage of the city to auto insurance companies, to help them determine which drivers are at fault in accidents and whether claims are valid.
Hamilton County, TN, Sheriff’s Office To Begin Using Drones For Law Enforcement
The Hamilton County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Office will begin using drones to gather evidence for court cases, detect bombs and find missing persons. However, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond assures the public the equipment will not invade people’s right to privacy. Hammond spoke Monday at a news conference to announce plans to use the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The Sheriff’s Office is among more than 80 law enforcement agencies, colleges and other government agencies across the country that have been granted or applied for permits to fly the aircraft, according to a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office news release. Hammond said Hamilton County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security also has the equipment.
Sacramento Mayor Promises Police Reforms After Videos Of Fatal Shooting Made Public
Sacramento police on Tuesday released video that shows a mentally ill man running from police officers, then stopping to gesture at them before they shot him dead in July. The police released the video and related audio hours after The Sacramento Bee posted surveillance video of the incident it had obtained earlier Tuesday. Sacramento City Council members viewed the footage released by police in closed session Tuesday night. During the public portion of the meeting, Mayor Kevin Johnson promised to propose a set of police oversight reforms in coming days. The mayor said he felt a ?sense of urgency? for the city to take action.
Cities Seek Police Surveillance Transparency And Oversight
Legislative efforts began in eleven cities aimed at requiring police departments to be more transparent about the surveillance technology they use. The bills will also reportedly propose increased community control over the use of surveillance tools. These efforts, spearheaded by the ACLU and other civil liberty organizations, are important at a time when surveillance technology is improving and is sometimes used without the knowledge or approval of local officials or the public.
Maryland State Lawmakers, ACLU Consider Legislation To Regulate Police Surveillance
Maryland state lawmakers and civil liberties advocates are considering legislation that would regulate police surveillance programs —and require public disclosure— after the Baltimore Police Department ran a secret aerial surveillance program over the city for months. The head of the city’s delegation to the Maryland House of Delegates said the public should know where such technology is used, how the information is kept and the costs involved. The lawmaker, Del. Curt Anderson, is looking at proposing regulations in the next General Assembly session that all Maryland police departments would have to follow to do any kind of surveillance.
How A Prison Drug Smuggling Case In Kansas Led To A Showdown Over Recordings Of Inmate-Attorney Talks
When attorneys said in court recently that phone calls between lawyers and inmates at Leavenworth Detention Center had been recorded and obtained by federal prosecutors, the development was just the latest revelation in what a United States public defender says was a systemic violation of constitutional rights.
Robocops Are Here. It?s Time To Create Rules On How Police Should Use Them.
Micah Xavier Johnson, the Dallas shooter, will go down in history as a domestic terrorist who killed five officers and wounded nine others. He will also go down in history as the first person killed by an armed police robot. Johnson was killed in a standoff when Dallas police sent in a remote operated Remotec bomb disposal robot that had been jury-rigged to carry a pound of C-4 plastic explosives.
How Slow-Motion Video Footage Misleads Juries
From surveillance cameras to smartphones, today?s crimes are increasingly being captured on video. But could showing slow-motion replays of crimes in court be producing harsher verdicts? This is the suggestion from a new study published in PNAS by researchers at the University of Chicago, University of San Francisco, and University of Virginia. They argue that slow motion replays can give viewers ?the false impression that the actor had more time to premeditate before acting.? Participants were shown surveillance footage of either an attempted robbery in which the assailant shot the store worker, or an NFL player performing a banned tackle. Participants, who were recruited online using Amazon?s Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing program, were shown the videos both at regular speed and in slow motion.