Call to Action!
Mayor Eric Garcetti Reneges on his Promise to seek Community input on the use of Drones by LAPD – Endorses CA State Bill AB 1327 Giving Police the Authority to use Drones
Yesterday, Friday September 12th, Mayor Eric Garcetti joined California legislators at a press conference endorsing Assembly Bill 1327, now on the governor’s desk awaiting signing. The bill, while masked under the guise of police seeking warrants to use drones, essentially authorizes and legitimizes their use under a myriad of situations and loopholes that would allow the use of drones for collection of information and surveillance. Mayor Garcetti is reneging on his stated promise of seeking public input on the use of drones by law enforcement–and we find this to be a gross violation of the public trust. Garcetti is speaking from both sides of his mouth.
On Monday, September 15 at 9:30 am, communities from across Los Angeles will be gathering at the Los Angeles City Hall to demand a ban on the use of drone technology by Law Enforcement in Los Angeles and across the State of California and expose the city’s duplicity in backing away from public input on the use of drones by cops.
On August 12th, the Drone-Free LAPD/No Drones, LA! Campaign sent a letter to Mayor Eric Garcetti stating, “As residents of Los Angeles, we reject the recent acquirement of drones by LAPD. We believe the acquisition of drones signify a giant step forward in the militarization of local law enforcement that is normalizing continued surveillance and violations of human rights of our communities.” Garcetti had publicly stated that he would seek community input prior to any consideration of the use of drones by LAPD yet he endorsed AB 1327, essentially reneging on seeking community input and instead in principle supporting the use of drones by police departments. Furthermore after several requests to meet with the community to discuss the critical issue of drone use by LAPD, Mayor Garcetti continues to ignore community concerns and has not committed to meet with the community.
Sign the Petition: Stop LAPD Drones!
This week started off with a vibrant and well-attended meeting of the Drone-Free LAPD/No Drones, LA! Campaign on Tuesday Sept 2nd. We’re currently working to collect thousands of signatures on paper and online. Please sign the petition onlineand also send it to your friends!
Additionally, we’re building teams across Los Angeles to knock on doors, attend events, and collect signatures to show officials that Angelenos say NO to police drones! We need your help! If you’re interested in volunteering for this outreach effort, please write stoplapdspying@gmail.com as soon as possible!
Be a Thought and Action Partner!
Please join us at the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition retreat scheduled for Sunday Sept 14th from 10am to 3 pm at the Los Angeles Community Action Network(LA CAN) at 838 E. 6th Street, Los Angeles, 90021. Collectively we’ll discuss and develop the next 12 month action plan to challenge and dismantle police spying, surveillance and infiltration. For further information please email at stoplapdspying@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you. Bring ideas and plan to get to work. Please be on time since there’s lots to cover.
In the Media:
Drones Wars: Lawmakers Seek to Regulate Them Read More…