Since 9/11, police departments across the United States have received billions of dollars in federal anti-terrorism grants. Hundreds of millions of these dollars have been spent on surveillance equipment—usually without any public debate or democratic oversight. Too often, community members remain in the dark about these surveillance programs, and so don’t have any say about how they function.
The Community Control Over Police Surveillance (CCOPS) ordinance aims to protect privacy, civil liberties, and the democratic process by requiring police departments to get community buy-in before acquiring new surveillance technologies. The ordinance sets up a democratic, transparent process so the public is fully informed and engaged in the conversation about what police departments are doing, and why.
If you want more information about how to organize, including talking points, please email Kade Crockford at kcrockford@aclum.org.