cannabisnews.com: Petaluma Turns Up The Heat 





Petaluma Turns Up The Heat 
Posted by FoM on April 24, 2002 at 21:04:09 PT
By Jeremy Hay, The Press Democrat
Source: Press Democrat
Petaluma police buttressed their crime-fighting arsenal with a heat-seeking surveillance camera, which they unveiled Tuesday. Police say it will help in drug investigations, searches and other cases but civil liberties advocates say the device is a form of high-tech snoopery.The $22,000 hand-held thermal imager, which resembles a large video camera, detects patterns of heat. It's a version of the infrared technology U.S. military forces have used to search for Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan's mountain cave complexes.
"Its uses are almost endless and they're still coming up with more," said Petaluma Police Detective Martin Frye, who leads the department's training program for the new device.Most commonly used at night, thermal imagers are powerful enough to pick out a human in the dark at a distance approaching half a mile.Frye said it can also detect clues important to a police pursuit or investigation such as the heat left by a hand on a window, or from a body that had been leaning until moments before on a lamppost.Petaluma bought its thermal imager with a grant from the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center of the Office of National Drug Policy.Law enforcement officials say thermal imagers have proven invaluable in searching for prowlers or fleeing suspects, as well as for locating missing people when time is of the essence.But a U.S. Supreme Court ruling has limited certain uses of such devices without a search warrant. Critics say even with that safeguard they represent too great a risk to privacy."This is just outrageous," said Steve Fabian, a Sonoma County deputy public defender and co-chairman of the local American Civil Liberties Union chapter."They're just trying to get more and more sophisticated ways of getting into people's homes," Fabian said.The manufacturers and police say critics are overstating the capabilities of the device, which works by detecting differences in surface heat."They're not magic," said Janet Kopec, spokeswoman for Raytheon Technical Services Company, which made Petaluma's imager."You can't see through walls and it's not X-ray vision," said Rohnert Park Police Sgt. Don Wagner, whose city will get its own thermal imager next year, also using a federal grant.The Supreme Court's ruling in June said federal agents improperly used a thermal imager to detect heat emanating from the house of a suspected pot grower in Oregon.The court said using the device without a warrant violated the Fourth Amendment right against unlawful search and seizure.Frye said the Law Enforcement Thermographers Association -- which trains police departments on the camera -- believes that witnesses in the Oregon case inaccurately described what the device "saw," and "they're waiting for another good case to come through to challenge that ruling."As it stands, he said, "we have to obtain a search warrant before we can infrared someone's home or the surrounding area."Additional warrants are required for police to actually enter a home.Other buildings open to the public, though, including businesses, are fair game, he said.Petaluma's thermal imager is the third in the county. Similar devices are used on the sheriff's helicopter, and by the Sonoma County Narcotics Task Force, which uses it mostly for marijuana investigations."It's just another tool to add to other investigative techniques," said Kent Shaw, commanding officer of the narcotics task force."It's a very slippery slope ... the reality is it's a search," said Fabian, who called the thermal imager "an expensive toy."Note: Police gain thermal imaging camera with government grant. News researcher Vonnie Matthews contributed to this report. Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)Author: Jeremy Hay, The Press DemocratPublished: April 24, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Press DemocratContact: letters pressdemo.comWebsite: http://www.pressdemo.com/CannabisNews Articles - Petalumahttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=Petaluma
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Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on April 26, 2002 at 05:18:51 PT:
I was going to post on this earlier
But didn't. Having come back to this, though, I figured perhaps I should...When the Kyllo decision came down, that was supposed to end the business of using these devices without a warrant, randomly scanning neighborhoods in what amounted to 'fishing expeditions'...the kind cops engage in when they stop you for some trivial matter like a missing tail light...and then nonchalantly ask to search your vehicle, hoping you'll be ignorant of your right to refuse a warrantless search.After the decision, the cops began dissembling, saying that these devices were not for random peek-a-boo through the walls of your house...but for such cutesy-poo, cuddly-soft rationales like finding lost children in the woods or fireman in burning buildings. (The latter is uproarious; with temps reaching thousands of degrees in a house fire, it would blank any display on these things because they are so sensitive. You'd never find a fireman with one of these, unless they were away from the fire.) Who can argue with such wonderful uses of technology, right?Don't believe me? Take a look...and read how the 'excuses' for purchasing these devices changed from hunting indoor cannabis operations to finding lost kiddies:Police Limiting Use of Thermal Camera 
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/10/thread10984.shtmlControversial Infrared Camera is Praised by Police
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/10/thread10961.shtmlAnd as to the following:Frye said the Law Enforcement Thermographers Association -- which trains police departments on the camera -- believes that witnesses in the Oregon case inaccurately described what the device "saw," and "they're waiting for another good case to come through to challenge that ruling."This was also addressed:From this link:
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/10/thread10961.shtmlThe camera had been used to detect marijuana growth in private homes until the Supreme Court justices, in Kyllo v. United States, decided that "while the technology used in the present case was relatively crude, the rule we adopt must take account of more sophisticated systems that are already in use or in development."The American Civil Liberties Union said the court's decision was "clearly written with one eye on future technological developments."But now, the cops seem to have forgotten their cover stories, and are nakedly admitting the real purpose of the device is to conduct the same 'warrantless searches' that these devices enable.Porky needs another legal swat on the snout; true to his nature, he didn't learn from the first one...
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Comment #6 posted by lookinside on April 25, 2002 at 21:16:51 PT:
Releafer...
Way to go, bro.I was less fortunate. about 80 miles East of you.
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Comment #5 posted by Releafer on April 25, 2002 at 08:49:21 PT
Thermal RIMMING...a fact
The police never care how they stop assumed crimes. Take my case: 
Growing 80 plants(under the DEA 100) and using 12 1000 grow lights with the building in the back yard covered by redwoods and pepper trees. Almost visible from a busy street but very visible if you walk onto the property and up to it.My speed freak nephew who had moved on and was now a speed manufactor in some other city gets busted for selling to minors at a high school where he was a working janitor. The police let him go to get me and my Commerical fishing boat and safety box cash $52,000 and 10 lbs of buds.Well, my nephew at least tells them the wrong building for the grow in his negoiations to burn me. Five cops come to my property 1 dea and the others for local survellience on a Friday night at 10:00 p.m. and creep down my driveway w/thermal imager and take thermal readings on a cold garage while the lights were blazing just 90 feet away and to the right behind that big weeping willow.Well, the argument always about thermal reading is what are they reading. How do you identify whats inside creating escaping heat. There is no answer as after the energy emits from the outer surface you then have to prove its actually emitting from inside.In my case my lawyer MR. TONY SERRA, proved that the police had actually trespassed and were illegally within my curtiledge or right to privacy area. I had keep out signs and a chain over my driveway...SO I had the expectation of privacy. The police had to step over the chain to thermal image the cold garage ...lie about any tempature and how they saw heat emmitting from the garage.Well, thermal was quasi illegal and the judge ruled they crossed the line when they stepped over the chain onto my property...CASE DISMISSED bad warrant...thankyou MR. TONY SERRA.The police gave my nephew who was selling speed to children nothing on the chance of ripping me off for my hard earned efforts....I was called the Greenking in the area....before B.C.BUD.I got all my stuff back due to the case being thrown out and it cost Alameda county at least $150,000 to TRY to prosecute. The boat was growing to the bottom with all kinds of stuff missing. I had to chase my money down to a city who hated to have to cut me a check fo $52,000 as I washed it into a real account. I went to the Cities bank and loudly demanded my money in CASH...made a scene, felt good...still had to deposit and wait three days to clear.The facts are that cops are little more than educated dummies going against legal condors that hover and pick them apart with every stupid in a hurry uneducated warrants written by high school graduates...THANK GOD
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Comment #4 posted by idbsne1 on April 25, 2002 at 07:30:21 PT
Anyone else see this?....
Thanks 4d and 4q....;)...your words speak the truth.....Does anyone else find it funny that the police officers are all using examples of "finding people" or "heat patterns of people" in their examples of USES of the thermanl imagery.....BUT the device was given to them by the "Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center of the Office of National Drug Policy."Ummmmm...where are the examples of using this device in this capacity? There are none....except for spying.....ILLEGALLY....looking for pot gardens....And what the hell is this?!?!?!?!:"they're waiting for another good case to come through to challenge that ruling."That's right... keep infringing on our personal freedoms and privacy....bust as many people as you can... make THEM fight it out in court, until the Court sees it the LEO's way....then bust down EVERY door you feel like....I am proud to say....our forefathers would no longer call this America.idbsne1
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Comment #3 posted by qqqq on April 25, 2002 at 06:12:17 PT
..cock-a-dooooodle-FREEKIN'-doo!..
...I'll try to make this my last comment for now....but,,who could help but notice?..TimeWarner/AOL has all of a sudden lost billions of dollars!......What a shock!....I guess that version 7.0 was not compatible..If you have any questions,,then just type in AOL keyword "shellgame",,or "ripoff bankruptcy scheme".....
..I guess the worst part of all my frenzied ravings,,,is the fact that no one seems really that concerned..Sheeple go about their lives,,,,looking up to bleat when they hear about a possible shopping center terror alert!!..
..I'm tellin' ya,,,my crackpot prediction is that alot more multinational corporate giants are going to pretend to crumble.......I aint jokin'!!,,think about it,,if AOL/TimeWarner can all of a sudden be losing billions!,,it's time wake up and smell the bullshit!.,....after the Enron scam,,,everyone started going over their books,and meeting with their accounting firm,to do some damage control,,and make sure that everything was on the level!...I mean, how many Enron type shams will huge corporations be able to get away with,after Enrons world class,Texas sized robbery of untold millions,,the old,,"well,,we thought our accounting firm was tellin' the truth".,excuse just dont cut it anymore!.............
........I admit,,,,,I'm sorta drunk............but I am not Stoned..........yet!
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Comment #2 posted by qqqq on April 25, 2002 at 03:47:15 PT
...even further off topic...
..I'm glad 4d went so far off topic...that way I dont feel so bad for wandering off into this ;;;;;,,,
...I'll bet there are millions of people who think the Enron fiasco was just a one time,,unique thing.. A huge corporation,, juggling the books....making it look like they are a profitable Wall Street goldmine...If you think that Enron was not the tip of an iceberg,,then you are one of millions of IDIOTS,,who have been flummixed into thinking that their investments are "real",and secure!!...... .Think about this;,,remember when there was the "energy crisis" down here in California?,,,well,,that was an Enron scam!,,and it was not like holding up a 7-11,, The Enron rip-off was beyond belief!...It was far worse than armed robbery!,,yet ,,no one is in jail? ..No one has had any assets seized!..  It's too bad someone who is in trouble for growing Marijuana cant have an Arthur Andersen to blame?!.... Perhaps the answer is to form a corporation..that way,,one could get busted,and claim they had no idea such illegal activities were going on!??? Why can people somehow get away with ripping off millions of dollars,and not go to jail,,but if ol' 4q gets caught with a bag o' buds,,he has to go to "rehab"...
 ....things are way worse than they seem....the only way to get by,,is to fake yourself out with hope... I'm sorry to be so darn negative,, but things really are not very nice or good!... one of the few,rare, good things,,is being able to laugh! ...Laughter is a heavy stone,,and it's quite cheap,,and often free.... Quite often,,there is a fine line between laughter and tears.,,,,but,,,there is no fine line when it comes to being several light years off topic. I can only hope that my apologies will be sufficient to console any disappointed readers....
..if you find yourself having problems with being happy enough,,then I suggest that you get a dog!,,or even a cat., . . . . and,, think about forming a corporation that is in the weed smoking business,,and hire some false accounting firm to juggle the books,and alter reality..that way,,when you get busted,,it wont be "you",that gets busted,,it will be the corporation,,and you can claim you had no idea that weed smoking was going on,,and if it was,,you had been told that it was not illegal by your accounting firm,;Abner Anderson & associates....
..nope....nowdays,,,smart people live deep in the underground,,behind dozens of closet doors..... Guys;,, can you imagine falling in love with Cher?,,or gals,can you imagine falling in love with Barry Manilow?..
.. well, , neither can I.
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Comment #1 posted by dddd on April 25, 2002 at 00:11:04 PT
..."one strike"...
..I hope no one is offended to hear me bring up the weirdness involved with the "one strike" term;,,a term that has been used like "zero tolerance",in the drug war,,,and now,,I see Ted Koppel ,on Nightline,,talking to some catholic priest represenative freak!,,,and terms like "one strike",,and "zero tolerance", are being used..... 
,,,and,,I started wondering,,where are the "mandatory minimums",for catholic priest perverts???. If you can justify mandatory minimums for drug offenders,, then what about the penalty for a priest who molests children with a papal boner?,,should we assume that this is less serious than a priest who gets busted using the holy papal crackpipe?.... ..dddd
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