Local Law Enforcement Officers Worried NSA Leaks Might Harm Their Ability To Spy

by Austin Petersen

Local Law Enforcement Ramping Up Surveillance Tech, Worried About Damage To Programs Caused by Leaks

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Recent leaks about U.S. government surveillance have local police departments worried about their future ability to use technology such as drones and mobile license plate readers. Law enforcement officials are gathered to discuss the subject in Philadelphia at the 120th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference and Law Enforcement Education and Technology Exposition.

The leak of classified documents by whistleblower Edward Snowden has prompted tighter restrictions on certain technologies that the American people have become highly sensitive to. Law enforcement officials are worried they won’t be able to conduct similar investigations.

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Local government officials have come under increasing scrutiny for using these technologies. Virginia State Police Officers used license plate scanners to track people who attended political rallies, the ACLU revealed. Police maintained an active database of citizens political activities from their vehicle plate numbers. They were forced to dump the data after Virginia State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli wrote that the practice was a breach of privacy.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan, spoke at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference recently and said, “The scrutiny that the NSA has come under filters down to us.” He added, “If we are not very careful, law enforcement is going to lose the use of technology.”

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Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey said at the conference, “We have to remind ourselves – just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should do it.”

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will address the conference on Monday.

 

 

Austin Petersen is a homegrown Missourian with a lifelong passion for liberty. He grew up on a horse farm in Peculiar, Missouri and went on to attend Missouri State University, graduating with a degree in the Fine Arts. After developing a career in media in both New York City and Washington, D.C., he returned to Kansas City, MO, the city he now calls home. In 2016, Petersen appeared on the national stage as a candidate for president of the United States. He took second place in the crowded Libertarian primary behind Governor Gary Johnson and ahead of cyber security maverick John McAfee. During his campaign, Petersen earned many high-profile conservative endorsements, including Mary Matalin, Erick Erickson and Leon Wolf of RedState.com. Petersen also brings decades of professional experience in a wide variety of fields, from content production and media to business and political activism. He is the owner and chief executive of Stonegait LLC, a consulting firm specializing in photo and video services. He was also the director of production at FreedomWorks and an associate producer for Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show “Freedom Watch” on the Fox Business Network. Additionally, Petersen has a national following as a commentator and professional pundit. He is the founder of The Libertarian Republic, a powerful online news source for the public that receives an average of 1 million unique visits monthly and whose podcast, The Freedom Report, receives an average of one million monthly downloads. He is also a frequent contributor on television, appearing on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC and on dozens of local radio shows.