S.T.O.P., Legal Aid Society Reveal Nearly $3 Billion In Secret NYPD Surveillance Contracts

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release   S.T.O.P., Legal Aid Society Reveal Nearly $3 Billion In Secret NYPD Surveillance Contracts (New York, NY, 11/14/2022) - 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 nearly $3 billion in secret surveillance equipment that had previously been hidden from the public. The expanded set of contracts, more than $2.5 billion than previously reported, include more than $400 million spent in recent years on the Domain Awareness System, the opaque surveillance system that collects tens of thousands of camera feeds from around the city. The contracts demonstrate the growth in the NYPD’s secret surveillance apparatus since 9/11. SEE: S.T.O.P. - Contract Database https://www.stopspying.org/nypd-special-expenses S.T.O.P. Research – Domain Awareness System https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2019/9/26/domain-awareness-system “New Yorkers deserve to see how much money we waste on the tech that watches us,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “The money that goes towards these policing boondoggles could be going towards schools, trash pickup, or almost any other aspect of city life. Instead, we spend billions in secret on technology that often fails to deliver anything for the money being spent. At a time of shrinking budgets, we can’t afford to fund big police tech’s waste, fraud, and abuse.” “The more we learn about the NYPD’s surveillance budget, the clearer it becomes that the money would be better allocated to the many underfunded resources New Yorkers need,” said Legal Aid Society Digital Forensics Supervising Attorney Jerome D. Greco. “It is unsurprising that the NYPD exerted so much effort to keep this information from the public.” The contracts were previously hidden under the Special Expenses program, a controversial secrecy agreement that was terminated in 2020 in response to passage of the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act. Last year, S.T.O.P. and LAS reported more than $277 million under the NYPD’s same special expenses program. SEE: S.T.O.P. – POST Act Overview Page https://www.stopspying.org/post-act Press Release - S.T.O.P., Legal Aid Society Reveal Secret NYPD Surveillance Contracts Now Exceed $277 Million https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2021/9/14/stop-legal-aid-society-reveal-secret-nypd-surveillance-contracts-now-exceed-277-million 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 © 2021 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.