DHS built domestic surveillance tech into Predator drones | Politics and Law - CNET News

DHS built domestic surveillance tech into Predator drones | Politics and Law - CNET News:

Cecil- maybe ALPR are minor concern compared to this.


DHS built domestic surveillance tech into Predator drones Homeland Security's specifications say drones must be able to detect whether a civilian is armed. Also specified: "signals interception" and "direction finding" for electronic surveillance.

Homeland Security required that this Predator drone, built by General Atomics, be capable of
detecting whether a standing human at night is "armed or not."

(Credit: U.S. Department of Homeland Security )

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has customized its Predator drones,originally built for overseas military operations, to carry out at-home surveillance tasks that have civil libertarians worried: identifying civilians carrying guns and tracking their cell phones, government documents show.

The documents provide more details about the surveillance capabilities of the department's unmanned redator B drones [http://www.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57570751-38/homeland-security-lets-be-clear-about-aerialdrone-privacy/] , which are primarily used to patrol the United States' northern and southern borders but have been pressed into service on behalf of a growing number of law enforcement agencies including the FBI, the Secret Service, the Texas Rangers, and local police.

Homeland Security's specifications for its drones, built by San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems [http://www.ga-asi.com/] , say they "shall be capable of identifying a standing human being at night as likely armed or not," meaning carrying a shotgun or rifle. They also specify "signals interception" technology that can capture communications in the frequency ranges used by mobile phones, and "direction finding" technology that can identify the locations of mobile devices or two-way radios.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center obtained a partially redacted copy [http://epic.org/2013/02/epic-foia---us-drones-intercep.html] of Homeland Security's requirements for its drone fleet through the Freedom of Information Act and published it this week. CNET unearthed an unredacted copy http://politechbot.com/docs/dhs.uav.drone.specification.030113.html] of the requirements that provides additional information about the aircraft's surveillance capabilities.

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Bell Gardens to Buy License Plate Readers to Aid Police : Eastern Group Publications

Bell Gardens to Buy License Plate Readers to Aid Police : Eastern Group Publications:

Bell Gardens to Buy License Plate Readers to Aid Police

The readers will monitor cars coming in and out of the city.

By EGP Staff Report

The Bell Gardens City Council has approved a request from the police department to purchase permanent license plate readers to assist them in solving crimes.

Six permanent license plate readers will be installed at the intersections of Garfield and Eastern and at Eastern and Watcher, where they will read the license plates of cars driving through the intersections.

Bell Gardens Police Department’s Traffic Sgt. Efren Aguirre told EGP the license plate readers will help police track cars coming in and out of the city.

The readers automatically search the DMV’s computer system as a car drives by to determine if the vehicle has been reported involved in a crime. The readers will send a photograph of each vehicle and the accompanying information to a dispatch center for review.

The purpose is to recognize any type of vehicle involved in a crime, spot stolen cars, wanted vehicles, or cars being investigated, said Aguirre.

The city council voted during the Feb. 11 meeting to waive the formal bid process and authorized the police department to purchase six fixed automatic license plate readers from PIPS Technologies using funds from a $100,000 grant the city received from the Homeland Security Grant Funding Program in August 2012.

According to Aguirre, the project must first be approved by the County, but he anticipates the license plate readers will be in place within two months.

The Bell Gardens Police Department currently has two mobile license plate readers affixed to police cars.

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Emerson Police Department awaits arrival of automatic license plate reader - NorthJersey.com

Emerson Police Department awaits arrival of automatic license plate reader - NorthJersey.com:

Emerson Police Department awaits arrival of automatic license plate reader

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2013, 4:18 PM

BY  LISA SPEAR

STAFF WRITER

PASCACK VALLEY COMMUNITY LIFE

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The Emerson Police Department is waiting on the delivery of an automatic license plate reader, a device that can instantaneously read six plates in a matter of seconds.

According to Police Chief Donald Rossi, the reader, funded by the Department of Homeland Security, will cost between $15,000 and $20,000.

"Anything that can read 1,000 license plates in an hour is phenomenal," said Rossi, who has communicated with officers using the device in departments throughout Bergen County, including Westwood and Oradell.

There have been up to four arrests documented in one hour, noted Rossi. "You sit on the side of the road and flag every vehicle."

Rossi further explained that in a standard vehicle stop, the patrol officer manually inputs the license plate number in their vehicle's computer terminal. They then call dispatch to notify them of the location of the license plate check and the make and model of the car.

Usually this process requires a vehicle stop, but through the plate reader's camera attached to the police car the process would be automatic. The reader, which is constantly scanning all of the plates in its view, is capable of picking up plates on a car traveling up to 35 mph, which would be difficult for an officer to manually input.

With the new system, patrol officers can keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel, noted the chief.

Supplied by GTMB, a company that designs and develops software products for law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey, the plate reader notifies the officer of any red flags.

The reader can also detect suspended licenses and outstanding violations and warrants, noted the chief, calling the reader "an up and coming tool."

The software provided by GTMB is called Info-Cop and it has access to hundreds of public safety departments throughout the country. It also provides immediate access over wireless networks to local, state, and federal crime databases.

The license plate information the reader collects is compiled in databases that can only be accessed by law enforcement officers.

Email: spear@northjersey.com

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Hillsdale Police to receive high-tech license plate reader for patrol car - NorthJersey.com

Hillsdale Police to receive high-tech license plate reader for patrol car - NorthJersey.com:

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2013, 11:18 AM

BY  KIMBERLY REDMOND

MANAGING EDITOR

PASCACK VALLEY COMMUNITY LIFE

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One of the patrol cars in the Hillsdale Police Department's fleet will soon be outfitted with an automated license plate reader (ALPR), a device that can scan hundreds of vehicles to check for violations.

The department is able to acquire the system thanks to a federal Department of Homeland Security grant administered by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, according to Police Chief Chip Stalter. The funding will cover the equipment's purchase, installation and maintenance, the chief said.

"We're on the second wave of getting them. Westwood and Woodcliff Lake received them over a year ago, so did Paramus," said Stalter. "There was a priority scale set that has taken all the critical infrastructure into account that could become targets of terroristic activities - whether it be reservoirs, hospitals, shopping malls, etc. Other police agencies received them first, the ones that were deemed to have more critical facilities in their towns. It's part of a whole protection for Homeland Security," Stalter said.

Hillsdale was targeted because the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir and Dam is located within the town's borders, he said.

As the police vehicle equipped with the ALPR is on patrol, the reader automatically scans plates, captures an image of the number and converts it into a digital format to allow for it to be run through several databases - including local, county, state and federal - to check for any issues with a vehicle or its registered owner. The system automatically alerts the officer if the obtained information requires police action, Stalter said.

"Before this, an officer would have to manually enter in the number to the computer [in the patrol car] and wait for a response. This allows the officer to clearly process hundreds of plates during their normal work shift. It's a good tool for us," the chief said.

According to the chief, the reader can detect anything from routine violations, such as unregistered vehicles, and suspended licenses. It can also be used to help with stolen vehicle recovery, apprehension of individuals who are the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant or assisting with tracking down a suspect that is wanted by another police agency.

Stalter said the captured data is transmitted to computer systems at the Bergen CountyProsecutor's Office, where authorities can monitor it for suspected criminals or stolen vehicles, or keep it to be used in a potential future case.

"Any town that has the system - if they had a crime that occurred, they can check the data for specific plate numbers and it can be used to do research," the chief said.

Stalter expects the department will receive the reader within the next month.

Email: redmondk@northjersey.com

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