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Brown wants to expand GPS monitoring beyond tracking sex offenders
San Francisco Gate ^ | Nov 10, 2006 | Chip Johnson

Posted on 11/10/2006 7:33:26 PM PST by bigdcaldavis

Gunshots ring out in a neighborhood, and law enforcement's first move is to pull up a computer screen to see whether the sound came from areas equipped with electronic devices that track the source of gunfire.

Then a public safety employee keys up another monitor and uses Global Positioning System technology to identify the locations of the city's worst-known violent offenders -- to determine whether any of them are in the spot where the shots were fired.

Such a brave new world is coming to Oakland -- and it seems likely that it will become a reality elsewhere in California now that crime-fighting Mayor Jerry Brown is about to become the state's attorney general.

He has been unable to nudge, cajole or criticize county probation and state parole agents into keeping closer tabs on ex-offenders released in his city, but that may not be a problem in his next job.

Brown, who begins his new job in January, is keenly interested in using technology to shore up the Oakland Police Department's understaffed force.

At several locations with a high incidence for gunfire, the city has installed a device, called ShotSpotter, which uses sound to approximate the location of gunfire. Now the city is launching a pilot program using GPS monitors tethered to ex-cons.

So far, 17 ex-offenders living in the city have agreed to wear the units instead of facing criminal trials or parole-revocation hearings, said Lt. Pete Sarna.

Brown, meanwhile, has been directly involved in talks with the parole division of the state Department of Corrections to expand the use of such monitors, said Bill Sessa, a department spokesman. Brown is adamant about the need to monitor the most-violent offenders in Oakland, where homicides and other crimes have skyrocketed this year.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; bravenewworld; gps; moonbeam; nannystate; realid; rfid; tagging
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To: A CA Guy

I guess he took a cue from Garth Brooks and got friends in low, low places. :D


21 posted on 11/11/2006 12:29:42 AM PST by bigdcaldavis (Xandros : In a world without fences, who needs Gates?)
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To: 383rr

....and income tax is VOLUNTARY!

Nose under the tent, Orwell was an optimist!!!!!!!


22 posted on 11/11/2006 12:35:51 AM PST by Richard-SIA ("The natural progress of things is for government to gain ground and for liberty to yield" JEFFERSON)
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To: Grampa Dave

It's a rush paraphrase...


23 posted on 11/11/2006 12:40:51 AM PST by Crim (Dont frak with the Zeitgeist....)
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To: 383rr

bookmark


24 posted on 11/11/2006 1:09:13 PM PST by traviskicks (http://www.neoperspectives.com/optimism_nov8th.htm)
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To: 383rr; Abram; albertp; AlexandriaDuke; Alexander Rubin; Allosaurs_r_us; Americanwolf; ...
sorry for the 4 pings in one day, but these are some dang good stories, IMO.





Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
25 posted on 11/11/2006 1:10:50 PM PST by traviskicks (http://www.neoperspectives.com/optimism_nov8th.htm)
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To: bigdcaldavis

Big brother is watching.


26 posted on 11/11/2006 1:18:44 PM PST by John Carey
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To: bigdcaldavis

LOL, no kidding!


27 posted on 11/11/2006 2:04:34 PM PST by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: Northern Alliance

When I say "sex offender", I'm talking about the child sex offenders who actually prey on children such as Jessica Lunsford, Jonbenet Ramsey, and Polly Klaas. Richard Davis got what he deserved. I pray that Couey gets what he rightfully deserves.

I do think that the legal definition of a "sex offense" is way too broad. I don't consider public urination to be a sex offense (but these days public urination is considered a sex offense because it almost always involves indecent exposure). I also don't consider an 18-year-old guy having sex with his 17-year-old girlfriend (or vice versa) to be a sex offense.


28 posted on 12/25/2006 11:47:37 PM PST by bigdcaldavis ("I'm not some candy-assed white liberal looking to turn you into better citizens." - Martin Querns)
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To: JSteff
It is NOT just the bad guys they want to track or will be able to. Eventually (and sadly) mostly the good citizens will be tracked, only criminals (and illegal immigrants) will not be.

Ping...especially the comment "only criminals (and illegal immigrants) will not be" - tracked, that is. After all, illegals down in Texas can walk in to a bank and get a bank loan without being forced to show ID or give a thumbprint, while Joe Average has to submit three forms of identification, a thumbprint, and a DNA sample.
29 posted on 03/22/2007 12:21:22 AM PDT by bigdcaldavis ("I'm not some candy-assed white liberal looking to turn you into better citizens." - Martin Querns)
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