WriteIntoAction.Com Exclusive | Caught On Tape: Tallahassee Police Department Operative Melanie Tudor Stalks Child Witness

June 6, 2014, 9:48 am

≫ Next: Chesterfield Police Officer Accused Of Recording Restroom Patrons, Posting To Porn Site

≪ Previous: TPD Stingray Use Raises Privacy Questions | Unconstitutional Tallahassee Police Illegally Using Stingrays On Citizens Without Warrants! Criminal Cops Being Exposed!

June 5, 2014

Caught on tape: Tallahassee Police Department operative stalks child witness

by Timothy Charles Holmseth | WriteIntoAction.Com

PHOTO TO LEFT: Photo by Alec Thomas HashMelanie Tudor, Tallahassee Police Department, waits for a family court hearing to begin regarding Alec Thomas Hash. Tudor has absolutely no connection to the case she will attend. Alec Hash has a lawsuit filed agaisnt the TPD. Alec Hash took the photo(s) to prove he was being stalked and intimidated by Tudor and the TPD.

PHOTO TO RIGHT: Photo by Alec Thomas HashMelanie Tudor (seen to rear), Tallahassee Police Department, enters courtroom in Leon County Courthouse, Florida. Tudor is attending a ‘Termination of Parental Rights’ hearing filed by Alec Thomas Hash against his mother, Reschin Moore, South Carolina. Tudor is appearing as Moore’s ‘friend’ but being paid by the TPD. Alec Hash has a pending lawsuit against the TPD. His father, Dr. Mark Hash also has a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement – Alec Hash is a witness.

Brothers work togther to capture evidence – organize escape plan for minor brother

Thinking together – two brothers, Alec and Christopher Hash, positioned themselves to snap a photo of the person that had been stalking and terrorizing their family for years.In doing so – the brave young men may not have fully known what they actually accomplished regarding evidence of witness intimidation and government corruption that will eventually be seen by a jury.The two photographs – surreptitiously taken at the Leon County Courthouse, Tallahassee, show a member of the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) was stalking Alec Hash to intimidate him – a Plaintiff in a civil rights lawsuit against the Police Department.

Alec Thomas Hash

Dr. Mark Hash, Alec Hash’s father, also has a lawsuit filed against TPD and the photos will be entered as evidence.

The photos show Melanie Tudor, who works as a victim’s advocate for the TPD, attending a ‘Termination of Parental Rights’ hearing filed by Alec Hash against his mother, Reschin Moore.

Tudor had absolutely no legitimate reason to be at the hearing. She was appearing alongside Moore, although Moore was/is not classified as a ‘victim’ and resided in South Carolina.

Ironically – Alec Hash (now an emancipated adult) was requesting Moore’s parental right’s be terminated because he was deadly afraid of her.

According to court documentation in two states, Moore suffered from severe psychological problems, abused her children (Alec Hash and his brother Christopher Hash), and pulled guns on her family.

According to a source that was in the courtroom, there were hearings that Moore did not attend and Tudor would sit in for her. Before the hearing, Judge Karen Gievers asked each person in the room why they were present and Tudor stated she was a “friend” of Moore, the source said.

Write Into Actions has obtained records showing Tudor was being paid by the TPD during the time she attended these hearings as Moore’s “friend”.

On one occasion Tudor smiled and waved at the Judge.

Although the court record, which spans a decade, and contains social services, psychiatric, and police files that show Moore actually admits to pulling guns, the TPD paid Tudor wages to accompany the South Carolina resident to the Florida hearings where the opposing party (Alec Hash) – a minor child – was actually the victim of record.

Alec Hash knew there was an organized institutional kidnapping plot against him that involved revoking the custody rights of his father, Dr. Mark Hash, who had raised him and his brother for over ten years. The objective was to place him in the sole-physical custody of Moore, who would then, as his legal custodian, withdraw his lawsuit against the TPD.

Alec Hash’s father, Dr. Mark Hash, also has a lawsuit filed against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Alec Hash is a witness.

Ultimately – Judge Karen Gievers denied Alec Hash’s motion to terminate Moore’s parental rights, and then granted Moore’s motion to change custody from Dr. Mark Hash to Moore.

Alec Hash circumvented the change of custody by traveling to Missouri and getting married.

Judge Gievers refused to acknowledge the legality of the Missouri marriage, in defiance of the federal ‘Full Faith and Credit Clause’, and ordered Alec Hash placed in the custody of Moore.

What occurred immediately following the hearing appears to have been a plan already in place between the two brothers – a situation that is sometimes known to involve a code word.

One witness described what happened after the hearing. “Alec walked up to his older brother, held out his hand, and said, “Well, goodbye Chris,” and shook his hand, before the two hugged each other and sobbed uncontrollably.

Alec Hash got into his car, fled the State of Florida and never returned.

Alec Hash and his wife have been both been legally emancipated by a Georgia Judge and the documents have been recorded in Leon County, Florida.

Karen Gievers refuses to lift the juvenile warrant she issued for Alec Hash – she is still seeking his (illegal) incarceration.

Two congressmen have called for a DOJ investigation.

Several other congressmen are reportedly reviewing the court documents.

Return to Home

‘What occurred immediately following the hearing appears to have been a plan … a code word.

“Alec walked up to his older brother, held out his hand, and said, “Well, goodbye Chris,” and shook his hand, before the two hugged each other and sobbed uncontrollably.

Alec Hash got into his car, fled the State of Florida and never returned.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

↧

Chesterfield Police Officer Accused Of Recording Restroom Patrons, Posting To Porn Site

June 8, 2014, 9:17 am

≫ Next: Tallahassee Police Department To Be Reviewed

≪ Previous: WriteIntoAction.Com Exclusive | Caught On Tape: Tallahassee Police Department Operative Melanie Tudor Stalks Child Witness

Wonder How Many Perps Work At The Tallahassee Police Department?

Chesterfield police officer accused of recording restroom patrons, posting to porn site

↧

Tallahassee Police Department To Be Reviewed

June 11, 2014, 11:10 pm

≫ Next: TPD’s Comprehensive Review Is Approved | Tallahassee Police Department Should Be Disbanded To Save Citizens From False Arrests, Fraud And Shootings By Jack-booted Thug Cops!

≪ Previous: Chesterfield Police Officer Accused Of Recording Restroom Patrons, Posting To Porn Site

Tallahassee Police Department To Be Reviewed

By: Natalie Rubino – Email

Posted: Wed 11:33 PM, Jun 11, 2014 | WCTV.Tv

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MGN Online

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tallahassee Police Chief Mike DeLeo asked the Tallahassee Board of Commissioners to approve an outside review of the police department.

The review will cost the department about $75,000.

The board approved the review unanimously, Wednesday.

The Police Executive Research Forum will conduct a review of TPD’s critical high risk policies.

“It would review our training and use of force, our field training program that helps develop new officers when they come in and special investigations,” Chief DeLeo said.

The Tallahassee Police Department is made up of about 350 officers.

The Chief says he wants to make sure those officers have received and are receiving the proper training.

The review comes after a few TPD involved shootouts.

Two incidents in May left two people dead.

While the review is to mainly go over training and other tactics, commissioners still want to work on preventing those incidents from happening again.

“Those reports are very concerning to me and I hope we can identify the causes,” City Commissioner Nancy Miller said.

PERF is a Washington D.C. based independent research forum.

“They’re nationally recognized and internationally recognized for what they do. When you want to raise the bar, that’s what you want to be measured against. We want people to measure themselves against us in the future so that seems like a logical place to start,” Chief DeLeo said.

The money will come from TPD’s trust fund. It consists if money seized during crime investigations.

“For those goods to finance this effort is very appropriate to me,” Commissioner Miller said.

The review consists of site visits, interviews and research. It’s expected to take about three to four months.

↧

TPD’s Comprehensive Review Is Approved | Tallahassee Police Department Should Be Disbanded To Save Citizens From False Arrests, Fraud And Shootings By Jack-booted Thug Cops!

June 12, 2014, 4:44 pm

≫ Next: Federal Court Rules Warrant Needed For Stingray Use | Public Corruption Of Dirty And Crooked Cops Exposed Again By Federal Judges!

≪ Previous: Tallahassee Police Department To Be Reviewed

TPD’s comprehensive review is approved

Tallahassee Police Department

TPD’s comprehensive review is approved

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Posted on Jun 12, 2014

by Brittany Kleinpeter _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tallahassee, Fla (WTXL) - The PERF firm will conduct a comprehensive review of the Tallahassee Police Department’s policies and training.

The Tallahassee City Commission has approved TPD Chief Michael Deleo’s request to hire the Police Executive Research Forum. The commission gave their approval to the request on Wednesday.

The Washington, D.C. based company is considered to be one to be on the top law enforcement best practices.

TPD tells us that by requesting this review, they hope it shows their community to providing the best possible service to the community. TPD says now that they have recieved approval, their next steps will be to contact the police executive research forum and find out when the company can begin the review

↧

Federal Court Rules Warrant Needed For Stingray Use | Public Corruption Of Dirty And Crooked Cops Exposed Again By Federal Judges!

June 12, 2014, 4:46 pm

≫ Next: TallahasseeReports.Com Exclusive | Tallahassee Police Department Requests Ignored by City Commission, “Crisis Brewing”

≪ Previous: TPD’s Comprehensive Review Is Approved | Tallahassee Police Department Should Be Disbanded To Save Citizens From False Arrests, Fraud And Shootings By Jack-booted Thug Cops!

Federal Court Rules Warrant Needed For Stingray Use

By: Andy Alcock – Email | WCTV.Tv

Posted: Thu 6:55 PM, Jun 12, 2014

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Andy Alcock

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your cell phone data may now be better protected thanks to a new federal ruling.

An appeals court ruled law enforcement must obtain a search warrant to collect records from cellphone towers used to track movements of suspects.

The Tallahassee Police Department has used those devices from FDLE called stingrays without search warrants.

A TPD spokesman referred us to FDLE for comment.

An FDLE statement says that agency is reviewing the court’s ruling.

It comes after a three judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Wednesday with the American Civil Liberties Union.

The court ruled cellphone data is protected by the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

The ruling means law enforcement officers must meet the higher legal standard of probable cause to gain access to the data.

If you carry a cell phone, your privacy could be compromised.

A civil rights group makes that claim about a device the Tallahassee Police Department uses.

It started at Tallahassee’s Berkshire Manor Apartments.

Tallahassee Police were able to track down sex abuse suspect James Thomas’ apartment by finding the cell phone of his accuser.

But TPD Investigator Chris Corbitt refused to explain how.

Thomas’ attorney Daren Shippy wanted to know.

“I felt the technology and the information related to it was important for the court to hear.”

After Shippy’s motion to make Corbitt testify was granted, Corbitt’s testimony was sealed.

The American Civil Liberties Union or ACLU successfully argued that testimony should be made public.

It revealed Corbitt used a device called a stingray.

The device mimics a cell phone tower.

Police use the unique serial number of the phone to find it’s location.

However, Corbitt testified the stingray sorts through data from other area phones before locking in on the target phone.

“It’s certainly problematic if you’re collecting data from other phones other than your target device,” said John Sawicki, a cell phone and computer expert.

Sawicki says the larger issue is stingray searches like the Thomas case are being done secretively and without a search warrant.

Corbitt testified he went door to door and window to window in the private property apartment complex to track the phone and didn’t have a search warrant.

The ACLU also requested stingray use documents from the Sarasota Police Department.

But the U.S. Marshals intervened and took those documents.

“I would certainly be concerned about an invasion of my privacy,” said Sawicki. “More than that, I’d be be concerned the federal government is going to extreme lengths to cover up that invasion of my privacy,” he said.

We made multiple requests to TPD for an interview, but have yet to get one.

Until the Thomas case, it was not publicly known TPD was using the stingray.

Corbitt testified TPD has been using stingrays since 2007 and has used the devices roughly 200 times.

↧

TallahasseeReports.Com Exclusive | Tallahassee Police Department Requests Ignored by City Commission, “Crisis Brewing”

June 15, 2014, 9:30 pm

≫ Next: Fourth Tallahassee Officer Involved Shooting in 5 Weeks | City Of Tallahassee Very Dangerous Because Cops Not Doing Their Jobs Over The Years Of Harrassing Law-abiding Citizens, Eating Donuts And Making False Arrests!

≪ Previous: Federal Court Rules Warrant Needed For Stingray Use | Public Corruption Of Dirty And Crooked Cops Exposed Again By Federal Judges!

Tallahassee Police Department Requests Ignored by City Commission, “Crisis Brewing”

Posted on June 15, 2014 | TallahasseeReports.Com

Tallahassee Police Department Requests Ignored by City Commission, “Crisis Brewing”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tallahassee Reports has been told by public safety sources that a “crisis is brewing” in the Tallahassee police department. The “crisis’ revolves around staffing issues that have been documented for years, yet have not been addressed.

The staffing issues, say sources, are being ignored by elected officials and city management, and are now being revealed in slower response times, more calls for service, and less proactive policing.

Staffing

City of Tallahassee data shows that the number of sworn officer positions has declined from 359 in 2008 to 355 officers in 2014. The number of patrol officers has declined from 216 in 2010 to 214 in 2014.

During this same period, 2008 to 2012, calls for service increased from 137,076 to 173, 484.

During the 2010 budget cycle, police officials informed upper management and the city commission that staffing was an issue.

“Over the last several years, the Police Department’s staffing level has not kept pace with population growth, workload, or staffing increases recommended by two (2) in-depth staffing studies.”

The report referenced above and completed in the early 2000’s by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), concluded that the department was approximately fifty patrol officers understaffed to meet a 50% goal of proactive time for patrol officers.

After the study, between 2003 and 2008, the City added 13 officers, but since 2008 the number of sworn positions has actually declined.

During the 2011 budget cycle, the police department reported that:

“even though the number of reported crimes decreased during 2009, the number of calls for service increased 4.9% between 2008 and 2009. Over the last five years the total number of calls for service increased over 11%. As a result of these calls for service, officers write approximately 70,000 reports annually.”

During the 2012 budget cycle, the police department informed upper management that:

“the number of reported crimes increased slightly during 2010, but the number of calls for service increased dramatically between 2009 and 2010. Over the last five years the total number of calls for service increased over 12.5%. As a result of these calls for service, officers exceeded 72,000 reports for the first time.”

During the 2013 budget cycle, the police department reported that:

“data obtained from the FBI’s 2011 Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report, Tallahassee’s crime index (total of violent and property crimes reported) has increased from 10,381 in FY10 to 11,024 in FY11. This represents an overall increase of 6.2%. Along with the number of reported UCR crimes increasing during 2011, the number of calls for service increased 1.0% between 2010 and 2011. In fact, the annual calls for service have increased from 41,746 in FY07 to 156,737 in FY11.”

Police Department Requests More Officers

During the 2014 budget cycle, the police department asked for more police officers. The request stated:

“The addition of five police officers and one sergeant will aid in reducing the response times for priority one and priority two calls for service. In FY12, the Police Department’s average response times for priority one and priority two calls were 6.5 minutes and 9.3 minutes respectively. The Department’s goal for priority one and priority two calls is 5.0 minutes and 9.0 minutes respectively.”

The City Commission failed to approve the request for five police officer positions.

Staffing Comparison with other Cities

A police officer staffing comparison between Florida cities, created by an organization called Governing, seems to validate the concerns provided to elected officials and the city commission over the last ten years.

Governing’s research, shown in the chart below, indicates that the City of Tallahassee ranks 27^th out of 40 cities in Florida in police officers per 10,000 residents.

Based on the analysis, the City of Tallahassee has 18.7 officers per 10,000 residents. The average for the state, based on 40 cities, is 21.8 officers per 10,000 residents.

For Tallahassee to reach the state average, the department would have to add 52 sworn police officers.

Staffing Impacts: Calls for Service, Response Times, and Community Policing

As detailed above, City documents show that from 2008 to 2012 the calls for service increased by 26% and sworn officer positions declined. The impact of these trends were described in the most recent budget document:

“In fact, the annual calls for service has increased from 141,746 in FY07 to 156,737 in FY11. The result is that response times have been increasing since 2007. Priority 1 calls require immediate dispatch (i.e. felonies in progress, life threatening calls or calls with injuries, alarms reporting crimes in progress) and have increased from 5.3 minutes in FY07 to 6.8 minutes in FY11. Priority 2 calls require dispatch within five (5) minutes from receipt of the call (i.e. assaults, all hazardous traffic situations, traffic crashes without injury that are blocking traffic, calls in progress not threatening life or property, missing persons involving individuals unable to care for themselves) and have increased from 8.9 minutes in 2007 to 10.4 minutes in 2011.”

The chart below shows that the number of calls for service per officer has increased from 381 in 2008 to 532 in 2013.

Documents indicate that Tallahassee’s police department uses a community policing approach. More specifically, city documents provide that:

“Patrol personnel are assigned to a geographical zone so that they may become more familiar with the residents who live and work in the area and with the activities that typically take place. This encourages more interaction between officers and residents and allows officers to focus on crime prevention and enforcement activities that may be unique to their zone.”

However, sources say that the lack of staffing to address increased calls for service, means efforts to engage in community policing and proactive enforcement have been reduced over the last 6-8 years.

What is an appropriate number of calls for service per officer?

In the 2010 city budget document, the city listed two benchmarks, the highest was approximately 138,000 calls for service with 359 sworn officer positions.

Based on that benchmark and latest calls for service in 2013, the Tallahassee police department would need 90 more officers to meet the ratio of officers to calls for service provided in 2010 budget document.

Since the 2010 budget document, the city has quit publishing the calls for service benchmark.

↧

Fourth Tallahassee Officer Involved Shooting in 5 Weeks | City Of Tallahassee Very Dangerous Because Cops Not Doing Their Jobs Over The Years Of Harrassing Law-abiding Citizens, Eating Donuts And Making False Arrests!

June 19, 2014, 9:28 am

≫ Next: Letter From A Reader: Community Concerns Of Chief Michael DeLeo Running Police Department, Tallahassee Needs A Real Leader As Chief!

≪ Previous: TallahasseeReports.Com Exclusive | Tallahassee Police Department Requests Ignored by City Commission, “Crisis Brewing”

For Some Reason, It Seems That This Is The Tallahassee Police Department’s Fault Because Of Their Lack Of Job Duty Over The Years For Arresting Real Criminals On The Streets And More And More People Think They Suck As A Department…There’s Always Going To Be Skepticisms Of These Jack-booted Thugs Walking The Streets With Badges And Shooting Black People As The Common Denominator In These Shootings…

Fourth Tallahassee Officer Involved Shooting in 5 Weeks

↧

Letter From A Reader: Community Concerns Of Chief Michael DeLeo Running Police Department, Tallahassee Needs A Real Leader As Chief!

June 19, 2014, 10:34 am

≫ Next: Tallahassee Watchdog Files Federal Lawsuit Against Florida Officials

≪ Previous: Fourth Tallahassee Officer Involved Shooting in 5 Weeks | City Of Tallahassee Very Dangerous Because Cops Not Doing Their Jobs Over The Years Of Harrassing Law-abiding Citizens, Eating Donuts And Making False Arrests!

Dear Tallahassee O,

The local community is having many concerns with Chief Michael DeLeo as the acting Chief Of The Tallahassee Police Department. The History thus far seems to almost repeat itself like with Former Chief Dennis Michael Jones who was a disgrace as a local former police chief.

So, far with Michael DeLeo in office for less than six months — There have been four officer involved shootings of strictly black people in about the last month. What is wrong with this picture and what is wrong with this department!? It appears that nothing will change and DeLeo is strictly calling in a review board to the department as damage control to cover his ass. Nothing appears to be changing especially in the near future. It’s still the same crooked and dirty rogue group of thugs that would be unemployable in any other city. Yes, we have a few good cops but the crooked certainly seem to outweigh the good in which the FBI should do a full federal review and even disband the Tallahassee Police Department. The Department is so far gone that it remains unrepairable.

Just recently, TPD Spokesman Sgt. David McCranie was stopped by Florida Highway Patrol for leaving an establishment after drinking and driving while yelling at Troopers. The Troopers were concerned about his stupid behavior while seeing him run red lights after yelling at them. When you have this as a police spokeman, it says much to the credibility and professionalism of this dirty and corrupt department run by rogue thugs in the leadership. Things always work from the top down in which the leadership of Tallahassee has a long history in years of completely sucking.

The Rachel Hoffman killing, the going out of jurisdiction for a crime, The Christina West Brutality shown on YouTube — Three Grand Jury Reviews are all prime examples of this broken department. That doesn’t even include the Famous Jameis Winston Cover-up for the investigation of Rape handled by corrupt cop Scott Angulo shown in the news with a corrupt history of false arrests and cover-up investigations with conflicts of interest.

It certainly seems that nothing will change with this Department while it needs much more than a chief passing the buck to a review board to a paid company when a federal investigation needs to really be active.

I appreciate that the Tallahassee O is keeping a history of all of these stories over the years regarding this department because it speaks volumes. I personally regret ever moving to this city with crooked individuals like Mayor John Marks, Former Mayor Scott Maddox and City Manager Anita Favors robbing our tax payers with such subpar services. This is while Tallahassee Police Department’s Jack-booted thugs continue to shoot our dogs and our kids as citizens that they are paid to protect and serve. I will move out of this hee-haw hell at the first opportunity and vow to never send my kids to this hell-hole. There are so many city’s that have much better management and less public corruption. It appears that Tallahassee is ranked the #1 City For Corruption on Google Searches for first to come up.

↧

Tallahassee Watchdog Files Federal Lawsuit Against Florida Officials

July 14, 2014, 6:14 am

≫ Next: TPD Investigating FSU Law Professor’s Death As Homicide | Please Help Solve This Murder And Put Local Police To Work On Solving Real Crimes!

≪ Previous: Letter From A Reader: Community Concerns Of Chief Michael DeLeo Running Police Department, Tallahassee Needs A Real Leader As Chief!

Tallahassee Watchdog Files Federal Lawsuit Against Florida Officials

Subpoenas have been issued on officers that targeted journalist and his wife

July 11, 2014

by Timothy Charles Holmseth | WriteIntoAction.com

Rob and Stephanie Brayshaw have filed a federal lawsuit in The United States Northern District Court against several public officials including Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell and Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley, citing a litany of rights violations.The 16-page Complaint was filed in the late evening on July 8, 2014, by Marie A. Mattox, PA., the law firm representing Rob and Stephanie Brayshaw.

Their lawsuit alleges the Brayshaw’s were illegally targeted by law enforcement for various constitutional and civil rights violations, in response and retaliation to Rob Brayshaw exercising his First Amendment rights for exposing the local city and police corruption, which is a violation of federal law.

“Subpoenas were issued on Thursday regarding the individual officers being sued in the civil rights lawsuit and this is the fourth federal lawsuit that I’ve had to file in five years against Tallahassee Police to protect my constitutional and civil rights,” Rob Brayshaw said.

Jurisdiction of the Brayshaw’s suit falls under 42 U.S.C. 1983 and 1988, the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994 (DPPA), 18 U.S.C., the Fourth Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, and other protection granted by the United States Bill of Rights.

The suits sets forth facts and circumstances explaining how resources of the Tallahassee Police Department were illegally used to have various publications, lawfully published by Brayshaw, removed from the Web. The suit also alleges a law enforcement system – Driver and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID) was used repeatedly to run the Brayshaws’ name and violate their privacy – in violation of law.

The Brayshaw’s are suing for an amount exceeding $75,000.

“My wife and I have serious concerns about the illegal actions being taken by Florida authorities and we will sue at any time that we feel violated to expose these corrupt actions,” Brayshaw said.

Prior federal lawsuits filed show that Tallahassee Police Officers Mike Dilmore and Annette Garrett have attempted to falsely arrest Rob Brayshaw and remove his postings of legal criticism. Federal Judge Richard Smoak ruled in April 2010 that Brayshaw’s speech was protected with no less protection of a media reporter stating that he was falsely arrested for merely publishing a cop’s home address. The Florida Statute of 843.17 from 1972 was found to be unconstitutional in his legal challenge of the nearly 40-year old law that was improperly used and unconstitutional as written. Brayshaw has been a contributor to numerous civil rights groups and publications.

The case is being heard by Honorable Judge Robert Hinkle.___________________________________________________________________

Return to Home Page

↧

TPD Investigating FSU Law Professor’s Death As Homicide | Please Help Solve This Murder And Put Local Police To Work On Solving Real Crimes!

July 19, 2014, 10:11 pm

≫ Next: TPD Opens Tip Line Dedicated To Markel Homicide Investigation

≪ Previous: Tallahassee Watchdog Files Federal Lawsuit Against Florida Officials

TPD investigating FSU law professor’s death as homicide

Updated: Sun 12:59 AM, Jul 20, 2014

By: James Buechele – Email | WCTV.Tv

Members from the Violent Crimes Unit are investigating the incident as a homicide. No suspects have been identified at this time.

News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 19, 2014 – 11:50pm

On July 18, 2014, at approximately 11:00am, the Tallahassee Police Department responded to 2116 Trescott Drive in reference to a shooting incident. When officers arrived the victim was found with an apparent gun shot wound. The victim was rushed to a local hospital, but later succumbed to his injury.

The victim has been identified as Daniel Markel.

Members from the Violent Crimes Unit are investigating the incident as a homicide. No suspects have been identified at this time. Community members with information regarding this investigation are asked to please contact the Tallahassee Police Department at 850-606-5800.

By: Eyewitness News
July 19, 2014 – 8:30pm

Tallahassee, FL – Florida State law professor Dan Markel has died after being shot Friday morning.

In a letter sent to College of Law faculty and staff, dean Don Weidner wrote “I am deeply saddened to report that our colleague Dan Markel passed away early this morning. As many of you are already aware, Dan was fatally injured in a shooting incident that took place yesterday and which is still under active investigation by local authorities.”

Property records show that Markel lived in the 2100 block of Trescott Drive. This is same location that Tallahassee Police responded to around 11am Friday after a neighbor reported hearing a loud banging noise. Officers located a person with a gunshot wound at the home.

Calls to Tallahassee Police Saturday night were not immediately returned.

According to the law school, Markel’s family is making arrangements for a funeral service in his hometown of Toronto.

A memorial service will be held in Tallahassee at noon Sunday. It will take place at Congregation Shomrei Torah, located at 4858 Kerry Forest Parkway.

By: James Buechele
July 18, 2014

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Police are investigating a shooting incident on the 2100 block of Trescott Dr.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m.

A neighbor called police after hearing a loud banging noise. When police arrived, they found a person with a gunshot wound.

That person was taken to an area hospital. Police aren’t releasing details on the name or where the person was shot.

No further details are available at this time.

↧

TPD Opens Tip Line Dedicated To Markel Homicide Investigation

July 21, 2014, 8:27 am

≫ Next: FSU Law Professor Dan Markel Targeted For Murder

≪ Previous: TPD Investigating FSU Law Professor’s Death As Homicide | Please Help Solve This Murder And Put Local Police To Work On Solving Real Crimes!

TPD Opens Tip Line Dedicated to Markel Homicide Investigation

Posted: Mon 11:04 AM, Jul 21, 2014

By: Eyewitness News; Tallahassee Police Department Email

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 21, 2014 – 11am

As the Tallahassee Police Department continues to investigate the homicide of Daniel Markel, the Violent Crimes Unit has created a “Tip Line” solely dedicated to this investigation. In an attempt to locate any further witnesses, investigators are asking anyone who may have been in the area of the 2100 block of Trescott Drive on Friday July 18th, 2014 between the hours of 10:00am and Noon to please call us at (850) 891-4462. This includes delivery drivers, visitors to the neighborhood or even pedestrians that were walking in the area who may have seen or heard anything that would lead investigators to the suspect in this case. This phone line will be recorded and callers are asked to simply leave a voice message with as much information as possible about the case. Callers can also continue to use CrimeStoppers at (850) 574 –TIPS. All information is confidential and any information leading to an arrest in this case could provide a cash reward of up to $1000.00.

The initial investigation has provided no indication that this case is connected to a burglary or robbery and investigators are assuring residents there is no evidence this was a random act. Neighborhood residents should continue to be vigilant but it appears at this time that Mr. Markel was the intended victim in this incident.

TPD investigators are continuing to canvas the neighborhood for possible witnesses and further clues to this case. Chief Michael DeLeo said “TPD will work tirelessly to follow up on all leads and evidence in this case and our thoughts and prayers are with the Markel family as they endure this terrible tragedy. My investigators will do everything they can to see those responsible for this murder are brought to justice.”
By: Natalie Rubino
July 20, 2014 – 2pm

The Florida State University Law community is mourning the loss of a professor shot and killed in Tallahassee on Friday, June 18. Family, friends, students and colleagues filled Congregation Shomrei Torah on Kerry Forest Parkway today to remember Dan Markel.

Markel died Saturday morning at a local hospital after police found him with gun shot wounds in his home on Trescott Drive on Friday around 11 A.M. Friends and family spoke at the service, saying Markel was a wonderful father, a renowned scholar, and a person who made friends everywhere he went.

“I am filled with awe and appreciation for the support of our friends and family and particularly for the show of admiration, respect and love for Danny from this Tallahassee family,” said Markel’s sister, Shelly Markel.

Funeral arrangements are being made in his hometown of Toronto by family members. The Tallahassee Police Department is investigating the case as a homicide. They ask anyone with any information to call 850-606-5800.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 19, 2014 – 11:50pm

The victim has been identified as Daniel Markel.

Tallahassee, FL – Florida State law professor Dan Markel has died after being shot Friday morning.

Calls to Tallahassee Police Saturday night were not immediately returned.

According to the law school, Markel’s family is making arrangements for a funeral service in his hometown of Toronto.

A memorial service will be held in Tallahassee at noon Sunday. It will take place at Congregation Shomrei Torah, located at 4858 Kerry Forest Parkway.
By: James Buechele
July 18, 2014

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Police are investigating a shooting incident on the 2100 block of Trescott Dr.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m.

A neighbor called police after hearing a loud banging noise. When police arrived, they found a person with a gunshot wound.

That person was taken to an area hospital. Police aren’t releasing details on the name or where the person was shot.

No further details are available at this time.

↧

FSU Law Professor Dan Markel Targeted For Murder

July 21, 2014, 6:55 pm

≫ Next: UPDATE: Former Students And Friends Of Murdered FSU Law Professor Speak

≪ Previous: TPD Opens Tip Line Dedicated To Markel Homicide Investigation

FSU Law Professor Targeted For Murder

Updated: Mon 8:04 PM, Jul 21, 2014

By: Eyewitness News Email | WCTV.Tv

Tallahassee Police investigators say there

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 21, 2014 – 11am

By: Natalie Rubino
July 20, 2014 – 2pm

Funeral arrangements are being made in his hometown of Toronto by family members. The Tallahassee Police Department is investigating the case as a homicide. They ask anyone with any information to call 850-606-5800.

News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 19, 2014 – 11:50pm

The victim has been identified as Daniel Markel.

By: Eyewitness News
July 19, 2014 – 8:30pm

Tallahassee, FL – Florida State law professor Dan Markel has died after being shot Friday morning.

Calls to Tallahassee Police Saturday night were not immediately returned.

According to the law school, Markel’s family is making arrangements for a funeral service in his hometown of Toronto.

A memorial service will be held in Tallahassee at noon Sunday. It will take place at Congregation Shomrei Torah, located at 4858 Kerry Forest Parkway.

By: James Buechele
July 18, 2014

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Police are investigating a shooting incident on the 2100 block of Trescott Dr.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m.

A neighbor called police after hearing a loud banging noise. When police arrived, they found a person with a gunshot wound.

That person was taken to an area hospital. Police aren’t releasing details on the name or where the person was shot.

No further details are available at this time.

↧

UPDATE: Former Students And Friends Of Murdered FSU Law Professor Speak

July 21, 2014, 10:52 pm

≫ Next: Police: Markel Died Of Gunshot Wound to Head

≪ Previous: FSU Law Professor Dan Markel Targeted For Murder

UPDATE: Former Students and Friends of Murdered FSU Law Professor Speak

By: Eyewitness News Email | WCTV.Tv

Updated: Mon 11:29 PM, Jul 21, 2014

Friends, family and former students grieve over the loss of Dan Markel.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By: Chris Gros
UPDATED July 21, 2014 11:24 pm

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tallahassee, FL – Two days after FSU Law Professor Dan Markel was gunned down in his own home, questions remain.

Markel’s former students are now without a teacher and left to wonder exactly how this could happen.

“We were all shocked, we heard it happened in the sometime in the afternoon but we didn’t know why? We didn’t know how? We just heard he was gone and it was a big shock to all of us,” said former student Tony Fusco.

“With me you think that if you’re interested in criminal defense, something like that is not going to happen to you. You won’t be in your house and be killed and it’s something that happened to him and there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding it,” said former student Stephanie Levitt

From students close to home to close friends the grief has spread across the country.

Ethan Leib is a law professor at Fordham University and co-authored a blog with Markel. The two men shared a strong bond for over ten years after they both decided to teach law.

“He sought real intimacy and real human connection. He was never satisfied with just a five minute conversation he wanted to go deep as often as possible,” said Leib.

Tallahassee Police have yet to name a suspect in the case.
For now family, friends and former students are left to wonder how something this tragic could happen to Markel.

“He was an incredible person,” said Leib.

News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 21, 2014 – 11am

By: Natalie Rubino
July 20, 2014 – 2pm

News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 19, 2014 – 11:50pm

The victim has been identified as Daniel Markel.

By: Eyewitness News
July 19, 2014 – 8:30pm

Tallahassee, FL – Florida State law professor Dan Markel has died after being shot Friday morning.

Calls to Tallahassee Police Saturday night were not immediately returned.

According to the law school, Markel’s family is making arrangements for a funeral service in his hometown of Toronto.

A memorial service will be held in Tallahassee at noon Sunday. It will take place at Congregation Shomrei Torah, located at 4858 Kerry Forest Parkway.

By: James Buechele
July 18, 2014

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Police are investigating a shooting incident on the 2100 block of Trescott Dr.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m.

A neighbor called police after hearing a loud banging noise. When police arrived, they found a person with a gunshot wound.

That person was taken to an area hospital. Police aren’t releasing details on the name or where the person was shot.

No further details are available at this time.

↧

Police: Markel Died Of Gunshot Wound to Head

July 22, 2014, 10:28 am

≫ Next: Retired Tallahassee Police Sergeant Donna Brown Shares Letter With The Public Regarding Her Fight For Gay And Lesbian Rights! | What Happened To Equality For Doctor Erwin Jackson When He Was Stalked And Harassed??

≪ Previous: UPDATE: Former Students And Friends Of Murdered FSU Law Professor Speak

Police: Markel Died of Gunshot Wound to Head

By: WCTV Eyewitness News Email

Updated: Tue 1:13 PM, Jul 22, 2014 | WCTV.Tv

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Police say that FSU law professor Dan Markel died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Update: Tallahassee Police Department
July 22, 2014

The Tallahassee Police Department has issued the following update:

“While our investigators are continuing to interview all witnesses, we would like to thank our community members who have come forward and contacted us via the “Tip Line” we have set up. Remember, any one piece of information could be the one we need to bring this tragedy to a close and we encourage anyone who may have been in the area of the Trescott Drive on Friday July 18th to call us.” said Chief Michael J. DeLeo.

TPD has received so many calls, that the dedicated “Tip Line” remains active at (850) 891-4462, with all calls being returned and all leads investigated. Callers can also choose to report any information to CrimeStoppers at (850) 574-TIPS. All information is confidential and we are happy to announce CrimeStoppers has graciously raised the reward for any information leading to an arrest in this case to $3000.00

Chief Michael DeLeo said “While we cannot release specific information or details regarding this case, the Violent Crimes Unit is releasing that Mr. Markel’s cause of death was a fatal gunshot wound to the head. TPD will strive to release updates in a timely manner but must protect the integrity of the case so that we can assure a favorable outcome once this case is brought before the Judicial System.”

Update: CBS News
July 22, 2014

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Family, friends and colleagues are grieving the loss of a prominent Florida State University law professor this morning.

Dan Markel was shot in his Tallahassee home. Police are releasing little information, but investigators do not believe this was a random attack, CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller reports.

Tallahassee police canvassed the area around Dan Markel’s home Monday, looking for any clues into his death.

“This is a puzzle and we need to get all of the pieces of the puzzle put together to bring this case to a close,” said Officer David Northway.

About 11:00 a.m. Friday morning, officers were first called to Markel’s house where they found the popular law professor with an apparent gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital but died a day later from his injuries.

While a recent spree of break-ins had neighbors on edge, police said there was no indication of forced entry at Markel’s home, calling his death a homicide

“It was not a robbery,” Northway said. “It does not appear that it was a burglary. At this time, it does appear that Mr. Markel was unfortunately the intended victim in this case.”

The 41-year-old father of two young boys was in the middle of a divorce.

He taught criminal law at Florida State University but was recognized nationwide, with his writing featured in the New York Times, Slate and the Atlantic. Markel also co-founded a popular legal blog with longtime friend Ethan Lieb.

“Dan Markel was an extraordinary person, an extraordinary scholar, an extraordinary friend, an incredible life that we’re pretty sorry to be bereft of now,” Lieb said.

Over the weekend, friends and family paid tribute to Markel at a memorial service.

In a statement, Florida State University called him “an outstanding teacher and extraordinary scholar.”

A lawyer for Wendi Adelson, Markel’s ex-wife, reportedly said she is devastated by the death of Dan, and is very afraid at this time.

By: Chris Gros
UPDATED July 21, 2014 11:24 pm

Tallahassee, FL – Two days after FSU Law Professor Dan Markel was gunned down in his own home, questions remain.

Markel’s former students are now without a teacher and left to wonder exactly how this could happen.

From students close to home to close friends the grief has spread across the country.

Ethan Leib is a law professor at Fordham University and co-authored a blog with Markel. The two men shared a strong bond for over ten years after they both decided to teach law.

“He sought real intimacy and real human connection. He was never satisfied with just a five minute conversation he wanted to go deep as often as possible,” said Leib.

Tallahassee Police have yet to name a suspect in the case.
For now family, friends and former students are left to wonder how something this tragic could happen to Markel.

“He was an incredible person,” said Leib.

News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 21, 2014 – 11am

By: Natalie Rubino
July 20, 2014 – 2pm

News Release: Tallahassee Police Department
July 19, 2014 – 11:50pm

The victim has been identified as Daniel Markel.

By: Eyewitness News
July 19, 2014 – 8:30pm

Tallahassee, FL – Florida State law professor Dan Markel has died after being shot Friday morning.

Calls to Tallahassee Police Saturday night were not immediately returned.

According to the law school, Markel’s family is making arrangements for a funeral service in his hometown of Toronto.

A memorial service will be held in Tallahassee at noon Sunday. It will take place at Congregation Shomrei Torah, located at 4858 Kerry Forest Parkway.

By: James Buechele
July 18, 2014

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Police are investigating a shooting incident on the 2100 block of Trescott Dr.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m.

A neighbor called police after hearing a loud banging noise. When police arrived, they found a person with a gunshot wound.

That person was taken to an area hospital. Police aren’t releasing details on the name or where the person was shot.

No further details are available at this time.

↧

Retired Tallahassee Police Sergeant Donna Brown Shares Letter With The Public Regarding Her Fight For Gay And Lesbian Rights! | What Happened To Equality For Doctor Erwin Jackson When He Was Stalked And Harassed??

December 9, 2014, 7:01 pm

≫ Next: ACLU-Obtained Documents Reveal Breadth Of Secretive Stingray Use In Florida | Tallahassee Police Involved In Illegal And Unconstitutional Use!

≪ Previous: Police: Markel Died Of Gunshot Wound to Head

Ret. Sgt. Donna Brown <hr@eqfl.org> wrote:

For 26 years as a police sergeant in the Tallahassee Police Department, I did my duty to protect the people in the great state that I love despite knowing that if something bad were to happen to me, my partner Lynne would not have been protected here.

Throughout my career, I lost three coworkers who gave the ultimate sacrifice and died in the line of duty. It’s dangerous work, and since the state of Florida did not respect Lynne and me as a family, she would not have been protected if I was killed while serving, just because we are both women.

I’m retired now, but hundreds of other gay and lesbian Floridians are continuing to serve their community as First Responders without the security that the freedom to marry provides.

That’s why I’m standing up and joining dozens of other Florida First Responders for the Freedom to Marry in signing an amicus brief to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which could hear arguments on marriage this winter. The brief, led by Equality Florida and Freedom to Marry, shows how we as first responders have each other’s back and want all of our colleagues to be respected for doing their duty.

Are you a law enforcement officer, firefighter, EMT or paramedic who supports the freedom to marry in Florida? Click here to join me in calling for the freedom to marry in Florida: http://eqfl.convio.net/site/R?i=WHuiwPKrbbN0q8vwnHmmIQ

When Lynne and I finally marry in Florida, it will be vindication for the battle that so many have fought for equality in our state. Now is your chance to be a part of that battle and help show that the entire state is ready for the freedom to marry.

Let’s make our voices heard in this landmark case: If you are a first responder in Florida – gay, lesbian, or straight, active or retired – please sign on to this amicus brief urging the 11th Circuit to affirm that denying the freedom to marry to same-sex couples is unconstitutional.

Please take one minute and add your name here: http://eqfl.convio.net/site/R?i=f9vmpXvcvL-OgBne8ecwHg

Together, we can make a huge impact.

Donna Brown
Tallahassee Police Sergeant, Ret.

PS: If you’re not a first responder yourself but know someone who may be interested in signing the brief, please urge them to sign: http://eqfl.convio.net/site/R?i=8GX8VjqLjMynTST_qYtRUw

Having trouble reading this email? Click here.
http://eqfl.convio.net/site/R?i=GhVAMEwXxhjFmUes_K9TWg

http://eqfl.convio.net/site/R?i=8kEtfDTful1s7tGr9aEvzw

To unsubscribe from all future email, paste the following URL into your browser:
http://eqfl.convio.net/site/CO?i=gjhEiuDyzzmA_1ATl_i81ruIk9AP2_Tw&cid=0

↧

ACLU-Obtained Documents Reveal Breadth Of Secretive Stingray Use In Florida | Tallahassee Police Involved In Illegal And Unconstitutional Use!

February 22, 2015, 8:12 pm

≪ Previous: Retired Tallahassee Police Sergeant Donna Brown Shares Letter With The Public Regarding Her Fight For Gay And Lesbian Rights! | What Happened To Equality For Doctor Erwin Jackson When He Was Stalked And Harassed??

Photo of cell phone tower disguised as a palm tree.

ACLU-Obtained Documents Reveal Breadth of Secretive Stingray Use in Florida

Stingray tracking devices

By Nathan Freed Wessler, Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project at 5:30pm

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The ACLU is releasing records today obtained from law enforcement agencies across Florida about their acquisition and use of sophisticated cell phone location tracking devices known as “Stingrays.” These records provide the most detailed account to date of how law enforcement agencies across a single state are relying on the technology. (The full records are available here.)

The results should be troubling for anyone who cares about privacy rights, judicial oversight of police activities, and the rule of law. The documents paint a detailed picture of police using an invasive technology — one that can follow you inside your house — in many hundreds of cases and almost entirely in secret.

The secrecy is not just from the public, but often from judges who are supposed to ensure that police are not abusing their authority. Partly relying on that secrecy, police have been getting authorization to use Stingrays based on the low standard of “relevance,” not a warrant based on probable cause as required by the Fourth Amendment.

Records Show Widespread Stingray Use

Last year, we sent public records requests to three dozen police and sheriffs’ departments in Florida seeking information about their use of Stingrays, also called “cell cite simulators” because they mimic cell phone towers and force phones in the area to broadcast information that can be used to identify and locate them. The Excerpt from Stingray document obtained by ACLU records we obtained document millions of dollars spent purchasing the technology and show their use in many hundreds of investigations in every corner of the state.

As we revealed last year, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has spent more than $3 million on Stingrays and related equipment since 2008. But it isn’t keeping the technology to itself. The FDLE has signed agreements with at least 11 local and regional law enforcement agencies allowing them to use the FDLE’s Stingrays and to share them with neighboring jurisdictions. (Though the version of the sharing agreement released by the FDLE is partially redacted, a local police department near Tampa provided an unredacted copy.)

Use of the FDLE’s Stingrays has been extensive. In a May 2014 email, the FDLE identified a staggering 1,835 uses of cell site simulator equipment, likely reflecting deployment in both state and local investigations throughout Florida.

The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) provided the most extensive information about a local agency’s use of Stingrays on loan from the FDLE, including a detailed list of more than 250 investigations in which it used Stingrays from September 2007 through February 2014. Although law enforcement agencies often justify their purchase of Stingrays—and the excessive secrecy surrounding their use — on homeland security grounds, the Tallahassee list reveals not a single national security-related investigation. Robbery, burglary, and theft investigations represent nearly a third of the total, followed by “wanted person” investigations, and then a laundry list of other run-of-the-mill offenses. The list also shows that the TPD allowed other police departments to access Stingrays, even crossing state lines into Georgia on at least five occasions.

Technology Hidden From the Courts

In many of the investigations, police never sought a court order authorizing Stingray use. In others, they sought a court order on a low “relevance” standard, but not a warrant based on probable cause. Perhaps most troublingly, the records indicate a pattern of excessive secrecy, including concealment of information that should appear in investigative files and court filings. For example, the TPD provided a sample of judicialapplications and orders it says were used to justify Stingray use, but not one of them contains a single mention or description of Stingray technology. This suggests that judges weren’t being fully informed about what they were approving.

The TPD also released the full investigative files from 11 cases where the agency used Stingrays.* But officers’ notes and other documentation in the files never once mention Stingrays or provide descriptions of their use. Instead, there are only fleeting references that would likely be inscrutable to a defense attorney or judge not already on the lookout for signs of covert Stingray surveillance. Two files mention use of “electronic surveillance measures” to track a cell phone. Another says only that “Confidential intelligence” indicated the location of a phone. A fourth states that “Inv Corbett [sic] arrived and determined that [the tracked] telephone was on the second floor of the apartment.” We know from a court transcript that the ACLU successfully petitioned to unseal last year that Corbitt is the TPD officer who operates Stingrays for the department.

The Tallahassee Police aren’t alone in obfuscating references to Stingray use in case files and court documents. As we have previously reported, for example, police in the Sarasota area were instructed by the U.S. Marshals Service to eliminate descriptions of Stingray cell phone tracking in court filings and replace them with the cryptic phrase “received information from a confidential source regarding the location of the suspect.”

A Washington Post article published today, based partly on the records obtained by the ACLU, provides further detail about how Stingray secrecy functions — and malfunctions — in Tallahassee. In one case detailed by the Post, prosecutors opted to offer a defendant a no-jail plea deal instead of revealing details about the Stingray as part of court-ordered pre-trial discovery. As we’ve seen elsewhere in the country, our justice system can’t properly function when judges and defense attorneys are kept in the dark about covert electronic surveillance by police.

Excessive Secrecy Persists

Below we detail our findings about Stingray use in other departments across the state, including records showing hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenditures and information on the number of cases in which they have been used. But for all these disclosures, many details about Stingray use in Florida are still shrouded in secrecy.

Several agencies refused to comply with Florida’s open records laws by properly providing documents. Some acknowledged that they had responsive records, but refused to release them. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, for example, denied our records request in full, partly relying on a “non-disclosure agreement or requirement” with a “federal agency.” (We know the FBI has been making local agencies sign non-disclosure agreements before buying Stingrays; a fully redacted copy of the FBI agreement is likely contained in the pages released by the FDLE. The FDLE also released a copy of a non-disclosure agreement with the Harris Corporation.) The Sheriffs’ Offices in Broward and Pinellas Counties issued similar denials. Police Departments in Pembroke Pines and Port St. Lucie failed to respond to the ACLU’s request at all.

Other agencies tried to withhold records, but apparently forgot that they had already released documents on the web. The Miami Police Department responded only that it had “No departmental orders or standard operating procedures covering ‘cell site simulators,’” but did not reply to a follow-up request for other kinds of records. Documents posted on the city’s website, however, show that Miami spent tens of thousands of dollars buying and upgrading Stingrays in 2008.

And in the City of Sunrise, the police at first refused to confirm or deny whether any responsive records existed. After the ACLU pointed out that Sunrise had already posted purchase records for Stingray devices on its public website, the city saw fit to send the ACLU copies of those already-publicly available documents . . . and a request for $20,000 to cover the expense of searching for additional records.

Unanswered Questions

Not a single department produced any policies or guidelines governing use of Stingrays or restricting how and when they could be deployed, suggesting a lack of internal oversight. And no department provided evidence that it gets warrants before using the technology.

Indeed, records from Tallahassee and elsewhere indicate that police have not been getting warrants. That must change. In a strong ruling last year, the Florida Supreme Court held that the Fourth Amendment requires police to get a warrant before asking a phone company to track a cell phone user’s location in real time. The logic of that opinion should apply equally to cell phone tracking using Stingrays. And because Stingrays sweep up information not just about suspects, but also bystanders, the need for robust judicial oversight is all the greater.

The documents we obtained add to the growing picture of surreptitious Stingray surveillance by local police around the country. By shining a light on police practices, we hope to help bring constitutional violations and a culture of impunity to an end.

Details on Stingray Use by Departments Across Florida

Records from elsewhere in Florida show how use of the technology and secrecy about it has proliferated. Following is what we found about particular departments across the state:

The Miami-Dade Police Department produced purchase records for hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment from the Harris Corporation, the Florida-based maker and seller of Stingrays. The Miami-Dade PD also stated that it had used Stingrays in 59 closed criminal cases within a one-year period ending in May 2014. The total number of investigations where the agency used Stingrays is surely larger, since that figure does not include cases that were still active at the time of its response. The department has a troubling history when it comes to Stingrays: according to a document available on the internet but not among the records produced to the ACLU, the Miami-Dade PD first purchased a cell site simulator in 2003 in order to surveil protesters at a Free Trade of the Americas Agreement conference.
The Palm Bay Police Department provided records from a 2006 investigation where they used a Stingray to track a suspect’s phone. Instead of seeking court authorization or even asking for assistance from the FDLE, a Palm Bay officer “contacted Harris Corporation and utilized some of their technology and engineers to track the cell call.” This irregular procedure was possible because Palm Bay is just minutes away from the Harris Corporation’s headquarters in Melbourne.
The Pensacola Police Department identified five cases where it used Stingrays and provided investigative files for each of them; none of the files mention or describe Stingray use. The department also stated that it “has not acquired a cell site simulator” and had no records regarding agreements with the FDLE to borrow the technology. However, the FDLE sharing agreements signed by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office both cover the “Tallahassee and Pensacola Regions,” perhaps explaining where Pensacola got the devices used in these investigations.
The Lakeland Police Department stated that it “relies on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to assist” in cell phone tracking cases, and produced files from three 2013 cases where it used Stingrays. Nothing in the files actually describes Stingray use. The FDLE produced a copy of its sharing agreement signed by the Lakeland PD.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office stated that it had no records regarding acquisition of Stingrays, but acknowledged that it had signed an agreement with the FDLE through which it could borrow the devices. The OCSO said that between 2008 and 2014 it “conducted 558 investigations in which cell site simulators may have been used.”
The Jacksonville Police Department explained that it owns two Stingrays, but “neither of them is functional with the current technology. They are analog, outdated, of no value, and not used. Our agency has elected not to upgrade them due to the cost and frequency.” Records show that Jacksonville purchased its first Stingray device in 2001 (a “Triggerfish” model). In 2008 it used nearly $200,000 of federal grant funds to purchase additional devices, including a “Kingfish” handheld unit. The documents describe how the Kingfish is “capable of pinpointing a phone’s location inside buildings or other locations where a vehicle could not travel.”
Agencies that signed sharing agreements with the FDLE but did not produce additional records concerning Stingray use include the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, among others. (See the documents released by the FDLE for the full list).
A number of departments either explained that have not purchased Stingrays or have not used them, or stated that they did not have records responsive to the ACLU’s request, including: Cape Coral Police Department, Clearwater Police Department, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Fort Myers Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, Hialeah Police Department, Hollywood Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Melbourne Police Department, Orlando Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Plant City Police Department, St. Petersburg Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Titusville Police Department, and West Palm Beach Police Department.

* In consideration of the privacy interests of people named in the investigative files produced by several law enforcement agencies, we are releasing only those pages of the files that shed light on Stingray use, and are redacting personally identifiable information.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Latest ACLU Posts

↧