The New Surveillance Society: How "Community" Policing Follows Your Every Move

[marmar]

The New Surveillance Society: How "Community" Policing Follows Your Every Move
A new notion of "community policing" has emerged, where monitoring communities has taken the place of solving crimes.

September 8, 2011 |


Ten Years Later: Surveillance in the "Homeland" is a collaborative project with Truthout and ACLU Massachusetts.


Surveillance now is everyone's business, as the line between intelligence-gathering and crimefighting rapidly fades and the public is conditioned to play its part.

The work of Deputy Police Chief Michael Downing of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) exemplifies the new surveillance paradigm. The head of the 750-strong counterterrorism force within the LAPD, he is on the hunt for "people who follow al-Qaeda's goals and objectives and mission and ideology." He says his officers collect intelligence and practice the "essence of community policing" by reaching out to Muslims and asking them to "weed out" the "hard-core radicals."

He adds that he is pleased that many Muslims have adopted the LAPD's iWatch program and are prepared, along with the general public, to call in tips about suspicious activity. With "violent Islamists" as his main target, Chief Downing is also keeping track of "black separatists, white supremacist/sovereign citizen extremists and animal rights terrorists." If threats materialize, he can draw upon the LAPD's "amazing" backup capacity - SWAT units, direct-action teams, air support, counterassault teams and squads that specialize in disrupting vehicle bombs.

Here we see several of the components of the new surveillance society. A militarized police force no longer leaves intelligence work to federal authorities. It seeks out information about anything that can be connected to "suspicious" activity and is keeping track of certain individuals and groups whether or not there is evidence that they are engaging in criminal activity. Police are expected to chase down unsubstantiated tips from the public, and not just to pursue evidence of wrongdoing. A new notion of "community policing" has emerged, where monitoring communities - with all the trust issues that this implies - has taken the place of winning community support by being accountable to residents and solving crimes. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/152346/the_new_surveillance_society%3A_how_%22community%22_policing_follows_your_every_move/

[kestrel91316]

1. LAPD has NEVER shown interest in "solving crimes" other than

with bullets in the street while acting as judge and jury. One a crime has happened and the perp isn't standing right there, forget about any effort whatsoever to pursue justice. Even if you can name the perpetrator and say where to find him/her.

And yes, I live here, am a white middle class professional and small business owner.

[Dawson Leery]

2. Two things:

Don't forget about the militarized police forces:
http://www.privacysos.org/police_state

Never get too close with the LEO community. They cannot be trusted.