NYPD Secretly Spent $159 Million On Surveillance Tech Since 2007

The New York City Police Department has spent over $159 million on surveillance systems and maintenance since 2007 without public oversight, according to newly released documents. Engadget reports: The Legal Aid Society (LAS) and the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) obtained the documents from the NYPD, which include contracts with vendors. They show that the NYPD has spent millions on facial recognition, predictive policing tech and other surveillance systems. The NYPD made the purchases through a Special Expenses Fund. It didn't need to gain the approval of the NYC Council or other city officials before signing the contracts, as Wired reports.

STOP and other privacy groups lobbied for the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act, which passed last year and requires the NYPD to disclose details about its public surveillance infrastructure. The Special Expenses Fund was shut down after the legislation passed. LAS and STOP threatened legal action if the NYPD didn't detail its surveillance practices. Among the documents are contracts for Palantir, American Science and Engineering (which provides x-ray vans that can detect weapons in vehicles 1,500 feet away) and Idemia Solutions, which provides biometric services such as facial recognition. The NYPD also signed a contract with KeyW Corporation for Stingray cell tower simulators.

No Big Surprise

[kbsoftware]

Seriously NYPD are the most corrupt police force anywhere, does this surprise anyone?

Re:

[whoever57]

It's pretty clear that the police represent a special class of citizen with only the appearance of political oversight.

Re: Safest city in the US per capita too

[Slashythenkilly]

If only there was a way to protect its citizens from the police

Re:

[nightflameauto]

If it takes 159 million in cameras to do it, if it saves one person's life, it is well worth it.

This type of mentality is aggravating as all get out. It'll eventually lead to us all being locked in our own padded rooms letting our avatars wander outside for us because, "sure we never get to see outside anymore, but if it saves one person's life it's worth it."

No, no it's not. Do you want to live a life with actual experiences and real freedom, or do you want to be safe at any and all costs? That's a question I wish more people would ask themselves. Too many right now are so extreme with their feel

defund the secretive, unconstitutional parts

[jm007]

.... and put the money into accountability and transparency

and toss in a magic unicorn while you're at it

Re:defund the secretive, unconstitutional parts

[AmiMoJo]

Put the money into programmes that actually help people.

The last time NYPD did less work the crime rate went down.

How did we find out?

[backslashdot]

Did someone snoop on them?

tech

[Shrumm]

Body cams belong to that budget too. But if you check the stats and research essaydune.com [essaydune.com] on other Police Departments, all of them spent practically the same amounts of money on the tech. Some of the tools were used for antiterrorism stuff.

X-ray vans

[Required Snark]

x-ray vans that can detect weapons in vehicles 1,500 feet away

What could possibly go wrong with incredibly powerful secret x-ray machines randomly zapping passersby on the streets of NYC? [newsnationusa.com]

In 2016 the NYPD entered into a three-year, $750,000 contract with American Science and Engineering, which furnishes mobile x-ray vans. Originally developed to detect improvised explosive devices in war zones, the vans can scan vehicles for weapons from up to 1,500 feet away. Health officials have warned that the devices may be a cancer risk because they can expose passersby to unhealthy amounts of radiation. The NYPD has used the vans since at least 2012, but it has successfully fought attempts to disclose where or how often they're used, citing national security.

So if you were in New York any time in the past five years or so, and you were walking around and suddenly felt warm, and later on got nauseous, maybe you'll get cancer in the next 20 to 30 years. But it's OK because the NYPD was working on some super-secret-national-security-true-crime-busting-case that never made the news or even made it to court, since they didn't want to admit they were spraying X-rays all over based on some unreliable "confidential informant" who was making shit up to keep from being thrown back in the slam. Remember kids, the cops are there to serve and protect.

Obligatory GhostBusters [youtube.com] reference.

Re:

[bubblyceiling]

Serve and protect themselves. They don't give a shit about civilians

so not much?

[bloodhawk]

To be fair, that is hardly a significant amount of money over 14 years. Current budget is about 10 billion a year.

And yet . . .

[The Snazster]

When I moved here in 2013 I expected it was going to be a jungle. Then I discovered I could walk darn near anywhere I wanted with no special concerns, and that I could even walk into the notorious Central Park, lie down on the grass, and take a nap. It was like a non-proprietary Disneyland.

The de Blasio got elected and things have been sliding towards hell in a hand-basket at an accelerating rate ever since.