Convince me to stay a liberal.

[Kind of Blue]

72. Just wanted to post what activists, working from their hearts,

are doing in your area that will benefit us all. First Seattle then hopefully the rest of us will get their technology.

Activists Acquire GPS Data and $30,000 in lawsuit decsion, build Cop Check Database on Police Officers Investigated by the Department’s Office of Professional Accountability

Washington-based organization Center for Open Policing (SEACOP) recently sued the city of Seattle, the State Patrol and the Tacoma Police Department over access to public records and won. They received more than $30,000 compensation and access to historical GPS data showing travel patterns of police vehicles, according to the Seattle Times.

The location data is going to “open up a whole new level of visibility into SPD patrol operations,” allowing analysis of police coverage neighborhood by neighborhood and shift to shift, SEACOP member Phil Mocek told reporter Steve Miletich. He went on to explain “this data belongs to the public,” as well as “the citizenry deserves to know where the patrol cars go, how frequently, where they are used, and how often.”

http://www.copblock.org/147769/activists-win-30000/