When the Surveillance State is Turned Around

Screenshot from Waze.com

As it turns out, police are concerned about the surveillance state too... when it's watching them.  From the Associated Press:

Sheriffs are campaigning to pressure Google Inc. to turn off a feature on its Waze traffic software that warns drivers when police are nearby. They say one of the technology industry's most popular mobile apps could put officers' lives in danger from would-be police killers who can find where their targets are parked.

 What does this nefarious app do?  Direct drone strikes against unsuspecting police officers?

 Waze users mark police presence on maps without much distinction other than "visible" or "hidden." Users see a police icon, but it's not immediately clear whether police are there for a speed trap, a sobriety check or a lunch break. The police generally are operating in public spaces.

Okay so this technology marks the location of public servants, operating in a official capacity, in public are on a map through crowd sourced information.  What's the problem again?

The executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, Jim Pasco, said his organization has concerns, too.

"I can think of 100 ways that it could present an officer-safety issue," Pasco said. "There's no control over who uses it. So, if you're a criminal and you want to rob a bank, hypothetically, you use your Waze."

Yes, technology can be used for evil.  I can think of a 100 ways a cell phone could present a police safety issue.  I can also think of  a 100 ways no-knock warrants, high speed chases, military equipment, and aggressive policing tactics make everyone less safe.  If people were that intent on ambushing cops, there would be way more cops dead.  What's to stop someone from making an emergency call and then ambushing police?

The recent attacks on police, as terrible as they are, are a rare event.  Homicide rates of police aren't particularly high by historical standards and are lower than the citizens of the cities they patrol (BLS, FBI) .  This qualifies as paranoid thinking on the part of the police.

Furthermore, in a supposedly free society, I don't see how you can prevent citizens from reporting what they see in public.  That qualifies under the First Amendment, which is, you know, the law.  If you're going to challenge the availability of a piece of technology that jeopardizes the safety of officers, you might want to start with guns.

Sources:

Associated Press:  Sheriffs want popular police-tracking app disabled 
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sheriffs-want-popular-police-tracking-080441241.html

BLS
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Protective-Service/Police-and-detectives.htm

FBI Uniformed Crime Report
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr-publications