Phoenix Police Seize PCs of a Blogger Critical of the Department 515
logicassasin sends in a story about a blogger in Phoenix, AZ, who runs a site that is critical of the local police department. The police recently raided his home and seized his computer hardware. "Jeff Pataky, who runs Bad Phoenix Cops, said the officers confiscated three computers, routers, modems, hard drives, memory cards and everything necessary to continue blogging. The 41-year-old software engineer said they also confiscated numerous personal files and documents relating to a pending lawsuit he has against the department alleging harassment — which he says makes it obvious the raid was an act of retaliation." A local publication quotes Pataky saying, "We have heard internally from our police sources that they purposefully did this to stop me... They took my cable modem and wireless router. Anyone worth their salt knows nothing is stored in the cable modem."
Cable modem... (Score:5, Funny)
Which is exactly why I've stuck a flash drive in mine that I can run a USB cable to when I want to do some "backups to my modem".
Wink wink.
To quote a fellow slashdotter's sig: (Score:5, Funny)
Fortunately... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Cable modem... (Score:2, Funny)
More interestingly, is the use of the phrase; "Anyone worth their salt."
This is a very old phrase, originally used when salt was a very, very expensive commodity. Roman soldiers were typically paid for their duties in salt. So a good soldier was 'worth their salt.' (Obligatory Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salary [wikipedia.org] )
So back to the topic on hand. I don't think this phrase is appropriate here, because we are taking geek assumptions (knowing that a router/modem do not store data long-term (other than configuration data, and potentially a log file)) and comparing it to a soldier who is worth his pay.
These are cops, we should use a different phrase like:
"Not showing up for work on the day of the idiotic raid; Chief Wiggims saved his own bacon through incompetence."
Cable modem... (Score:2, Funny)
Something tells me he hasn't heard of the mysterious black smoke.
Re:Critical of officials? (Score:4, Funny)
Phoenix? Minneapolis? It looks like its really all the same.
Greek names?
Re:To quote a fellow slashdotter's sig: (Score:1, Funny)
> Please read 1984 before commenting on 1984.
I read it. I can't remember a word of what's in it. May I still comment on it? :-P
Re:Phoenix has done screwed up. (Score:3, Funny)
I'm beginning to think the world is one big Milgram experiment...
Re:What the police were really after, (Score:3, Funny)
The problem is, when they see your collection of tinfoil hats, they'll split every molecule of your house in search of what you're hiding
Re:Cable modem... (Score:2, Funny)
Hmm..not sure why off-topic. The intro had 5 sentences, I addressed one of them.
Obviously I'm being targeted by cops.
Re:Cable modem... (Score:4, Funny)
I'm going to counter that with (-1 Fact Nazi), and rate you (-1 Overly Eloquent).
Re:Cable modem... (Score:3, Funny)
(+1 Now that's just plain silly)
Re:To quote a fellow slashdotter's sig: (Score:4, Funny)
http://www.alternativereel.com/includes/top-ten/display_review.php?id=00002 [alternativereel.com]
http://marchinred.com/BB1984.html [marchinred.com]
Re:Phoenix has done screwed up. (Score:2, Funny)
And did you deserve it?
Re:Phoenix has done screwed up. (Score:3, Funny)
"computer tampering with the intent to harass" sounds pretty close to what the blogger's accusing the police of.
Re:Phoenix has done screwed up. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Fortunately... (Score:3, Funny)
I don't live in a police sta%%%CARRIER DISCONNECT%%%
Well duh, none of us lives in a police station. Sheesh...