Police Warrant Squads Were Used to Monitor Wall Street Protesters

[SkyUS]

Police Warrant Squads Were Used to Monitor Wall Street Protesters, Suspects Say

On Monday, the

New York Police Department

sent its warrant squads after an unusual set of suspects: people who had old warrants for the lowliest of violations, misconduct too minor, usually, to draw the attention of those squads.

But those who were questioned by the warrant squads said the officers had an ulterior motive: gathering intelligence on the

Occupy Wall Street

protests scheduled for May 1, or May Day. One person said he was interviewed about his plans for May Day. A second person said the police examined political fliers in his apartment, and then arrested him on a warrant for a 2007 open-container-of-alcohol violation.

link

Discuss.


Seems like a complete bs in my opinion. Yes they were indeed serving outstanding warrants, but using this tactic to gather intelligence on some protest seems kind of ridiculous to me.

I don't care that much for the pseudo commie May Day protesters here or the fashionably angry students from the OWS, but the tactics like these can be used on other types of protests too.

[Trigger]

Police Warrant Squads Were Used to Monitor Wall Street Protesters, Suspects Say




link

Discuss.


Seems like a complete bs in my opinion. Yes they were indeed serving outstanding warrants, but using this tactic to gather intelligence on some protest seems kind of ridiculous to me.

I don't care that much for the pseudo commie May Day protesters here or the fashionably angry students from the OWS, but the tactics like these can be used on other types of protests too.

Why exactly do you have a problem with police gathering information about potential criminal activity from the very people associated with said activity?
These occupy protests havent exactly been the model of civility.
You would probably be one of the first to complain that 'the cops' coulda/shoulda/woulda done something following a major incident where prior intel was found to be lacking.

Of course this is all based on the words of people too irresponsible to bother showing up in court on their own.
Very reliable sources /sarcasm

[Laconian]

Nobody seems to be complaining of illegal search or seizure in association with this combination of clearing old warrants and attempting to gather intel. It's called police work. What do you think is wrong with it?

Are the police just supposed to sit on their hands and wait for a call for service?

[Rattfink]

Police keeping eyes on a potentially volatile situation? It sounds like earning their paycheck....
If they did nothing and ignored it, and something went wrong the public would be screaming for their blood, asking why they didn't know what kinds of people these protesters were.
Besides...is it spying if your in public? Does watching in any way interfere with OWSers' right to peaceably gather? Attention is the point of protest. They got it.

[Noons86.]

Here's another article about it that I read yesterday:

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews..._is_in_occupy/

[Ordie]

It's getting stupid.

Ever since the 'War on Terror" local police try to justify their homeland security grant applications by demonizing citizens who demonstrate in public.

[C.Puffs]

It's getting stupid.

Ever since the 'War on Terror" local police try to justify their homeland security grant applications by demonizing citizens who demonstrate in public.

Yeah, because burning $hit down, destroying property, and commiting violent acts on others, is 1st Admendment protected speech.

[gresh]

Yeah, because burning $hit down, destroying property, and commiting violent acts on others, is 1st Admendment protected speech.

They ones in Sacramento are a bunch of punks. I don't get what entitles them to camp out in the park in the middle of downtown past 11:00 when bums can't even do it. The police were patient and asked them to leave for like 20 minutes. We've all seen what kind of vandalism and public disorder they're capable of causing. If some idiots have warrants and the police want to bring them in for that to try and get them to talk about their involvement in more illegal sh!t, good for the cops. Nobody is complaining when the cops use the same tactics to get friends of murderers to talk. Some people on here need to watch an episode of The First 48.

[LineDoggie]

It's getting stupid.

Ever since the 'War on Terror" local police try to justify their homeland security grant applications by demonizing citizens who demonstrate in public.

Yeah right you'd have us believe Occupy Oakland was riding Unicorns and handing out Skittles next. Citizens who demonstrate peacefully is one thing
Scumbags who vandalize, throw molotovs, terrorize driver and passengers in cars is something entirely different Ordie. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/b-c-man-cau...183709263.html
There aint any excuse for that.

[wicked_hind]

It's getting stupid.

Ever since the 'War on Terror" local police try to justify their homeland security grant applications by demonizing citizens who demonstrate in public.

I have nothing against demonstrating, so long as people know how to maintain order and act in a civilized manner. I don't see how vandalizing other people's property and assaulting police officers constitutes as having a right to demonstrate.

[DS73]

Here's another article about it that I read yesterday:

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/912131/what_it's_like_when_the_nypd_raids_your_apartment_at_dawn--_because_your_roommate_is_in_occupy/

Dude, they are hard core anarchist group with no brain and apparent thirst to go public. Such people are visited and talked to pretty much everywhere. In every western country.
It is not "just a political group".
If anything it is just a chance for them to sit, think and most probably stop doing something stupid they plan before it's too late.

[Dominique]

It's getting stupid.

Ever since the 'War on Terror" local police try to justify their homeland security grant applications by demonizing citizens who demonstrate in public.

Ordie, exactly what was stupid about this? They got the chance to pick-up people wanted on warrants (clearing a backlog), as well as looking for information on anyone who was planning on doing something stupid. I don't see the issue.