Police Want Access to Information From Tolling on Narrows Bridge

According to the Tacoma News Tribune (November 9, 2018) Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey says state law should be changed so that law enforcement investigators can get information from the toll system about people crossing the eastbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

“If there is a homicide, and we think the suspect went through the toll bridge at 5:21 a.m., we can’t get that information,” Busey said in a recent interview. “That’s ridiculous.”

Because of privacy concerns, current law states that “no photograph, digital photograph, microphotograph, videotape, other recording image, or other record identifying a specific instance of travel may be used for any purpose other than toll collection or enforcement of civil penalties.”

The toll system obtains a photo of the license plates of all vehicles traveling eastbound on the bridge, as well as the time of which they crossed.

The bridge cameras were installed only for tolling purposes, and the law limiting use of the photos and other information was enacted to protect all citizens’ privacy, said Shanktar Narayan, the Technology and Liberty Project director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.
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Some might ask, why shouldn't police be able to get this information? Simply put, because the information can be abused. What is used to support a major case criminal investigation today, can be used in an illegal investigation tomorrow. Allowing information obtained for one specific purpose to then be used for other purposes is a slippery slope that can lead to nothing but harm of our privacy rights and civil liberties.

We need to ensure that some out of control government employee in a basement office somewhere isn't keeping secret files about us hidden on a government computer network. We need to ensure that information collected about citizens in Washington is only being used for narrowly defined purposes.

 

 

WA State Pastor and Teacher Arrested on Charges of Voyeurism

According to the Christian Post (November 1, 2018) a pastor and teacher at a Christian school in Washington state was arrested earlier this week and charged with filming hundreds of voyeurism videos of female staff and students.

KIRO 7 reported that the videos of unsuspecting women and girls at Arlington Christian School were short cellphone clips that zoomed in on breasts, buttocks and crotches of the victims.

Stephen Clark Brown, a 61-year-old pastor at 7 Lakes Baptist Church, has been fired from the school, Q13 Fox added. He was booked on suspicion of voyeurism, with bond set at $100,000.
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Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments:
A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way

 

114 Gun Seizures in Maryland Since October 1st

Since Maryland's "red flag law" went into effect on October 1st, at least 114 people have had their guns seized by the police.

These people were not convicted of any crime, or even charged with a crime, but a family member or other person was able to convince a judge that the person posed some type of danger and thus should not be in possession of firearms.

The firearms are seized prior to the accused person being able to appear in court and defend their rights.

Spying on Your Cell-Phone

KOMO 4 News (November 8, 2018) reported that you may be connecting with a device that can trick your phone into thinking it's a cell tower, so it can spy on you.  A cell site simulator or Stingray can intercept your phone signal, and essentially trick it into connecting to it and 'potentially suck up all your data' like conversations and text messages.

"Just for going about your daily business you are subjected to the kind of surveillance that might be downloading information from your personal phone." "There is no way that an individual would ever know that their phone had been hooked to a Stingray," said Steve Gibson host of 'Security Now,' a weekly internet security podcast.

"The technology is very powerful," said Gibson, "They are catching everyone in the neighborhood and weed out that one particular bad guy they are looking for."

Tacoma PD got a cell site simulator in 2008.

One way to get an extra layer of encryption for your calls and messages is by using a third party app that provides instant messaging services. (Such as Signal Private Messenger)
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Government employees in Washington state have admitted to engaging in a pattern of false arrests and detentions, attacks on homes and friendships, and attempting to impede members of political groups from peacefully assembling and demonstrating anywhere, at any time. They engaged in a pattern of harassment that was systematic and pervasive, and that continues to this very day.

My book, Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments: A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way provides additional information on dealing with the surveillance threat.

California Bar Shooter Was A Marine

According to KOMO 4 (November 8, 2018) the gunman who shot and killed 12 people at a country music bar in a Los Angeles suburb was a former U.S. Marine. Ian David Long, 28, served in the Marines for nearly five years, including a seven-month tour in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon. He left with the rank of corporal in March 2013.

In April 2018, a neighbor called authorities to report loud noises coming from Long's house. Deputies found Long "was somewhat irate, acting a little irrationally" and called in a mental health specialist. They also were concerned that Long might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, "basing that (on) the fact that he was a veteran and had been in the Corps." The mental health specialist assessed Long but concluded he couldn't be involuntarily committed for psychiatric observation.

Authorities haven't identified what motivated Long to open fire during college night at Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, a city of about 130,000 people about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles.
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Did Long's military service have anything to do with his actions 5+ years after his separation from the USMC? Maybe, maybe not... it seems unlikely, but we cannot know for sure.

What is known is that military personnel, government employees, and veterans do not have an easy path to obtaining mental health counseling and assistance. Too often they are ignored, belittled, or seen as weak and told "just let it go" when asking for help. Some agencies have even retaliated against employees who reported problems and asked for help! This is unacceptable, and may have led to Long's actions in a bar in California years later. ???

Even in crisis, should you attempt to contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Chat, you may find that many people are in line and that you have to wait hours to be connected to a counselor. 

Approximately 34 percent of the 83 shootings committed by men between the ages of 18 and 59 were veterans, per an analysis by World Beyond War.  Veterans also have higher rates of mental health problems than civilians; one study reports that veterans kill themselves at a 50 percent higher rate than civilians, per The Los Angeles Times.

As Hugh Gusterson, professor of international affairs at George Washington University notes to The New York Times, veterans account for 13 percent of the population, “but more than a third of the adult perpetrators of the 43 worst mass killings since 1984 had been in the United States military.” (Heavy.Com, November 8, 2018)

Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments:
A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way

 

Police Kill Man Resisting Gun Confiscation in His Home

On Monday morning, police officers in Anne Arundel County, Maryland showed up confiscate 60-year-old Gary J Willis’ guns. A family member had called police and asked them to suspend Gary Willis’ gun rights, and the local police department was more than happy to oblige.

When the pounding on the door began at 5:17 am, Gary showed up to his door holding a firearm. When he saw it was police, he put the gun down to talk to them. But then, the officers informed him they were there to confiscate all of his weapons.

Gary Willis refused to comply with the confiscation order. That is when the fight broke out. During the struggle, one of the weapons discharged. Police, fearing for their lives, opened fire on Gary Willis, killing the 60-year-old man in his own home.

Gary Willis was not charged or even accused of committing a crime. All of this happened because one extended family member told police she was worried that he was dangerous. No evidence, no proof… just one person’s word. And now, an innocent man is dead. (Conservative Daily, November 6, 2018)
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So, when the police show up to confiscate your guns, how will you respond?

For those who say that the 2nd Amendment was written to allow citizens the ability to resist an oppressive and tyrannical government, remember that the government agents showing up at your door will very likely be officers from your local police department.

Your Right of Defense Against Unlawful Arrest

Police officers, are you willing to enforce unconstitutional laws? Some Sheriffs have refused to do so.

Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments:
A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way

 

Military personnel deployed to a combat area, their supporting contractors overseas, government civilian employees overseas, non-government organizations (NGOs), journalists working on international stories, businesses attempting to establish a foothold in developing countries, and individual travelers to remote areas of the world can all find themselves in hostile and non-permissive environments. This guide covers a broad range of subjects that are intended to aid individuals, living and working in dangerous areas, in being safer in their daily lives and in being better able to protect themselves and survive in case of an emergency, disaster, or hostile action.

Has WA State Created the Perfect Storm to Increase Violent Crime?

During the mid-term elections (November 6, 2018) voters in Washington state passed two initiatives: I-940 and I-1639 which together create the perfect storm to increase violent crime in the state.

I-940 allows law enforcement officers to be held criminally liable for the use of force if it is determined that their actions were not "reasonable". I-940 removed the standard of "malice" that had previously protected police from prosecution except in the most extreme and egregious circumstances.

I-1639 restricts the self-defense rights of Washington citizens, and holds the individual gun-owner criminally liable for the actions of a criminal who steals a firearm and uses it in a crime.

Police officers in Washington are making comments on social media that under I-940 they will no longer be proactive or risk their lives to defend others knowing that they can face criminal charges for doing so. And can you blame them? Washington voters basically just said F*ck the Police.

Citizens in Washington if they choose to comply with I-1639 will find their ability to protect themselves from violent criminals severely restricted. Many citizens may choose not to comply with these draconian laws. Have we created a new class of criminal, the citizen who believes personal protection is more important than oppressive laws?

So, now police are less willing to respond and put themselves at risk. Citizens are limited in their ability to effectively defend themselves against violent attacks in their homes. Have we created the perfect storm allowing violent criminals to do as they please with out fear of the police or an armed citizen?

 

Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments:
A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way