Austin Police- It’s Not Illegal, But We Won’t Disclose It

News 8 Austin has picked up on the warrantless surveillance story. The media is going to the wonderful Debbie Russell of Texas ACLU for quotes (I’m not that hard to find guys). Here is what Debbie has to say-

“They have full access to the database and the question is, how are they using
it?” Debbie Russell with the American Civil Liberties Union said. “They could have an 85-year-old lady growing African violets or something completely different, medical machines. It’s a waste of resources,” Russell said.

Here are some more embarassing statements from Austin PD.

The Austin Police Department would not comment on the record. They say they are
waiting for a ruling by the attorney general about just how much information
they have to disclose.
APD did release a statement, saying, “Every case must go through the legal process where all tactics are reviewed. APD is confident that the measures it utilizes follow the law.”

Austin PD does not want to disclose any information, yet they are confident their surveillance program follows the law.

Question for Austin PD- If you are not doing anyting illegal, why not DISCLOSE THE INFORMATION! I thought privacy laws only protected criminals. We need a Patriot Act for government disclosure. Open records laws are not enough. Police have no need for privacy if they are acting honorably.

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