S.T.O.P., Legal Aid Society Reveal Secret NYPD Surveillance Contracts Now Exceed $277 Million

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P., Legal Aid Society Reveal Secret NYPD Surveillance Contracts Now Exceed $277 Million   (New York, NY, 9/14/2021) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, and the Legal Aid Society (LAS) condemned the NYPD’s purchase of more than $277 million in secret surveillance equipment that had previously been hidden from the public. The expanded set of contracts, more than $120 million more than previously reported, demonstrates the growth in the NYPD’s secret surveillance apparatus since 9/11. SEE: Contract Database https://www.stopspying.org/nypd-special-expenses Last month, S.T.O.P. and LAS reported more than $159 million under the NYPD’s same special expenses program. Today’s announcement includes additional contracts that were released in the following month. SEE: Wired - The NYPD Had a Secret Fund for Surveillance Tools https://www.wired.com/story/nypd-secret-fund-surveillance-tools/ New York Daily News - Comptroller Stringer tells NYPD surveillance technology expenses can’t be kept secret https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-nypd-budget-classified-stringer-20200731-55pwpwz4qzac7hyptmzlre5qyu-story.html Press Release - S.T.O.P., Legal Aid Society Condemn $159 Million in Secret NYPD Surveillance Contracts, Release Public Copies https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2021/8/10/stop-legal-aid-society-condemn-159-million-in-secret-nypd-surveillance-contracts-release-public-copies “We already knew that the NYPD’s surveillance purchases were shameful, but today’s figures are truly shocking,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “When the NYPD can hide more than a quarter billion dollars in surveillance from public view, it shows just how out-of-hand we’ve let NYPD surveillance become. For two decades, police surveillance has gone largely unchecked in New York, threatening our safety and civil rights. It’s long past time for these abuses and boondoggles to end.” “The more information we receive on the NYPD’s surveillance expenditures, the more our fears are confirmed,” said Legal Aid Society Digital Forensics Supervising Attorney Jerome D. Greco. “With little oversight, millions of dollars have been spent on surveillance by a police department with a long history of unfairly targeting our clients’ communities. The NYPD went to great lengths to conceal this information from the public and we still do not know how much more remains hidden.” The contracts were previously hidden under the Special Expenses program, a controversial secrecy agreement that was terminated last year in response to passage of the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act. STOP and LAS demanded the record from the Comptroller’s office over the past year, threatening litigation if they were withheld. S.T.O.P. – POST Act Overview Page https://www.stopspying.org/post-act Press Release - NYC Council Members, S.T.O.P. Release Joint Statement Condemning NYPD Noncompliance with POST Act https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2021/2/25/joint-release The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. The Legal Aid Society exists for one simple yet powerful reason: to ensure that New Yorkers are not denied their right to equal justice because of poverty. For 145 years, we have protected, defended, and advocated for those who have struggled in silence for far too long. Every day, in every borough, The Legal Aid Society changes the lives of our clients and helps improve our communities. -- END -- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn;  . Copyright © 2019 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.