21st Century Policing: The Rise and Reach of Surveillance Technology
Sitting at the intersection of criminalization and capitalism, the use of emerging surveillance technology has become increasingly popular among police departments in the United States over the last few decades. While public knowledge is still catching up to the full extent of the tools that police use, we are quickly understanding more about this technology each day. Adopted for use as police “reforms,” sophisticated electronics and tech capabilities do not address the unchecked power and ballooning budgets of local police departments. Instead, they open the door for law enforcement to monitor communities while private companies profit from sales and contracts. As the movement to defund the police becomes impossible to ignore, replacing police officers with police cameras is called progress.
Living in a “surveillance state,” however, is not a foregone conclusion. Organizers across the country are pushing back against intrusive and problematic surveillance technologies by providing program models and model legislation to disrupt 21st Century Policing and ensure awareness and meaningful interventions. This report presents an overview of ongoing trends in police surveillance and the funding streams that have made and continue to make these trends possible. It also highlights ongoing advocacy efforts and provides recommendations for pushing back against the use of such technology by law enforcement.
Ensuring Federal Stimulus Funds Support Communities, Not Cops
A fact sheet about the recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which provides $1.9 trillion in economic relief through direct payments, expanded child tax credits and unemployment benefits, small business loans, and aid to local and state governments. This fact sheet goes over details of the ARPA payments, gives recommendations for how this money should be used to support communities, and gives an example table of cities and amount of aid they are estimated to receive.
NYPD “Goon Squad” Manual Teaches Officers to Violate Protesters’ Rights
Internal NYPD documents shed new light on the Strategic Response Group, or SRG, the heavily militarized police unit behind the crackdown on George Floyd protesters. This detailed report explores the background and function of the SRG, shares the SRG guidebook, explains its role in the 2020 protests, and ends with a look at accountability efforts.
One Million Experiments
Explore snapshots of community-based safety strategies that expand our ideas about what keeps us safe. One Million Experiments is a place to browse community-based safety projects for inspiration, a newsletter featuring zines that highlight the nuts and bolts of particular projects, and an opportunity to share your projects. Tag projects using #1MExperiments.
Where (To Learn): Resource Hubs to Ponder Questions You Didn’t Even Know You Had
A collection of common questions related to abolition, policing, and incarceration and links to find resources for further education and organizing.