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Tell DHS: Stop using local police to spy on innocent citizens

By Sheila Dean No comments

Sheila Dean

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>Many people are increasingly disturbed by the unwanted attention of police-acting-as-federal authorities. In many instances, police have been collecting information about non-criminal activities, dumping reports into a locally owned and operated Fusion Center. From there non-criminal information about anything from photography, sketching in a park, to legal organized assemblies gets collated into a joint terrorism task force database. That's a pretty intimidating prospect for a legal unrelated activity or simply using your citizen power to respond to practices affecting you and your communities negatively.

Now, The DHS wants to waive parts of the Electronic Privacy Act of 1974 so they can access computer, cell phone and any other digital record for surveillance purposes, adding them to a Fusion Center database.

Citizen condemnation of these practices has been mounting across the US over DHS's arbitrary privacy invasion, use of "Reasonable Indication" policies to justify surveillance of non-criminal activities of citizens. Many different privacy and transparency groups have been working towards documenting public opinion on these matters.

Such an opportunity has now arrived.

DHS adopted a Privacy Office for internal regulation towards the regard of citizens' privacy.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center recently posted a public input deadline addressing surveillance practices of local Fusion Centers. Citizens, just like you, across the nation now have a unique opportunity to respond, like never before, about the policies and procedures applied to your community.

TELL DHS:

*STOP USING "REASONABLE INDICATION" POLICIES

*STOP SPYING ON NON-CRIMINAL ACTIONS OF INNOCENT CITIZENS

*STOP DRAGNET PLANS TO SURVEILL OUR DIGITAL RECORDS WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE or a WARRANT

*STOP FUNDING FUSION CENTERS WHO AREN'T TARGETING ACTS OF LEGITIMATE TERRORISM

Here's How:

Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number for this notice. All comments received will be posted and docket number for this notice. All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov , including any personal information provided. [ BE POLITE!!]

SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security is giving concurrent notice of an updated and reissued system of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 for the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General--002 Investigative Records System of Records and this proposed rulemaking.

In this proposed rulemaking, the Department proposes to exempt portions of this system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.

*Comments must be received on or before December 15, 2010.*

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number DHS-2009-0095, by one of the following methods:

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

Fax: 703-483-2999.

Mail: Mary Ellen Callahan, Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy
Office, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For general questions please contact:

Doris A. Wojnarowski (202-254-4211),

Department of Homeland Security,

Office of Inspector General,

Mail Stop 2600, 245 Murray Drive, SW., Building 410, Washington, DC 20528; or by facsimile (202) 254-4299.

For privacy issues please contact:

Mary Ellen Callahan (703-235-0780),

Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy Office, Department of Homeland Security,

245 Murray Drive, SW., Building 410, Washington, DC 20528.

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Sheila Dean Social Media Pages:

Sheila Dean is the blog editor for BeatTheChip.org and speaks for the 5-11 Campaign, an anti-national ID advocacy campaign. Sheila promotes American Bill of Rights retention and deliverance from the federal banking system. She also produces (more...)

Related Topic(s): Citizens; Collecting; Community; Dept Of Homeland Security; Digital; Domestic Security; Information; Photography; Police; Privacy; (more...) Privacy; Privacy; Spying; Surveillance; Terrorism; Transparency, Add Tags (less...)

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