NY Police Chief Ray Kelly Says The Boston Bombing Takes Privacy 'Off The Table'

from the not-that-there-was-much-left-on-table... dept

In light of the recent Boston bombing, NYPD Police Chief Ray Kelly is now restructuring some sort of nonexistent deal with New Yorkers, issuing a clawback on their civil liberties. According to Kelly, the Boston Marathon bombing means privacy has been "taken off the table."

“I'm a major proponent of cameras,” Kelly said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “I think the privacy issue has really been taken off the table.”
Some of you may take issue with Kelly's assumption that the privacy "offer" has been rescinded (or that it's truly his to rescind). Well, guess what. Your opinion means nothing, at least not to the chief of the NYPD.
“The people who complain about it, I would say, are a relatively small number of folks, because the genie is out of the bottle,” Kelly said. “People realize that everywhere you go now, your picture is taken.”
Ray Kelly doesn't care much for civil liberties. He's already been questioned about the NYPD's "anti-terrorism" efforts (aided by the FBI), largely comprised of various (failed) efforts to infiltrate the Muslim community. While it's failed to produce any terrorists, it has managed to tread all over the community's civil liberties. During that discussion, a Brooklyn councilman bluntly stated that the counterterrorism efforts looked to be based on "profiling" rather than on any "real leads."

He's also been queried about the notorious "stop and frisk" program, something that largely targets young minorities (87% of all stops are non-white) while failing to produce much in terms of results (only 1 in 10 stops result in a summons or arrest; weapons are only discovered in 0.2% of the stops).

Kelly has defended these two programs with a pair dubious claims. On the anti-terrorist side, he proudly states that the city has not been attacked by terrorists since the 9/11 tragedy. Considering the average person is 8 times more likely to be killed by a cop than a terrorist, this claim is nothing more than Kelly attempting to take credit for a statistically improbable event not happening. It's about as meaningless as claiming no one has been struck by lightning twice while under his watch.

As for the "stop and frisk" program, Kelly claims the reduction in crime speaks for itself. But as NYCLU Director Donna Lieberman pointed out, there's precious little evidence this program did anything more than tag along for the ride as crime decreased across the nation.
Kelly nevertheless claims the program has saved thousands of lives during the last decade by reducing violent crime, an assertion that Lieberman calls "demonstrably false." She notes that homicides were already falling in New York before Kelly launched the stop-and-frisk program in 2003 and that since then they have declined more quickly in other big cities.
Speaking of "speaking for itself," this quote is allegedly Ray Kelly's goal for "stop and frisk."
According to [State Sen. Eric] Adams, Kelly "stated that he targeted or focused on that group because he wanted to instill fear in them that any time they leave their homes they could be targeted by police."
So, we already know Kelly's general attitude towards the rights of the citizens under his care control. It appears his view on privacy is just more of the same. The question is, how much more surveillance does he feel is justified? New York already rivals the capital of Knife Crime Island Great Britain in terms of camera usage. London's "Ring of Steel" is an Orwellian construct (even the nickname conjures thoughts of Soviet Russia's surveillance of its own citizens) that funnels drivers into areas populated by thousands of unblinking law enforcement eyes. Kelly has openly expressed his pride in NY's emulation of London's surveillance system.

Kelly acts like increased surveillance is a forgone conclusion after the Boston bombing. The investigation's most useful images and video were captured by individuals and private businesses, not by PD cameras, something surveillance advocates like Kelly keep conveniently forgetting. He claims only a few will complain and the rest will just fall in line. But where is he hearing this cry for more police and government surveillance?

As far as I can tell, there's been no public outcry demanding that the police, FBI, etc. do something to prevent another tragedy. The only voices I've heard are a variety of self-contained echo chambers who hear only the reverberations of their preconceived notions.

Kelly certainly likes hearing "privacy is off the table," even if the words had to originate from his own mouth. He said it because he truly believes it. But it serves a secondary purpose as well, something I'm sure Kelly is fully aware of. Making this statement as the resident police chief in the nation's largest city sends the message to like-minded law enforcement entities that now is the time to expand surveillance efforts. After all, who's going to stop you? A "few complainers?"


Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: boston, nypd, ray kelly


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  1. icon
    rw (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 6:00am

    I was going to call this guy an "Idiot", but he isn't the biggest one by far. Those that keep this moron employed are the true "Idiots".

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. icon
    silverscarcat (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 6:08am

    Hmm...

    If privacy's off the table, I'm sure he won't mind it if cameras are set up in his house and people can watch him 24/7 then.

    Not to mention cameras with his family members all the time.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    Ninja (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 6:23am

    They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

    These people need further history classes.

    And honestly, by the time there's enough surveillance to stop crimes before they take place the Govt will be bankrupt. There must be a balance between surveillance, due process, education of the young and punishment to avoid crimes.

    If there's enough certainty that one will be judged and punished for their crime it'll be a deterrent to most criminal-wannabes. The ones determined will commit crimes regardless of how much you squeeze the general population. This is a classic case of punishing an entire population because of the actions of a few.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Jay (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 6:41am

    Hold it...

    This is the same guy responsible for breaking up the Occupy campus for "cleanliness" while taking a massive donation from Chase bank to support their interests.

    Further, that surveillance program is funded by the very people that he is protecting: the rich and powerful.

    So he is correct in saying that he wants less privacy for the people that are out of his jurisdiction. The problem is, that's everyone that isn't making millions a year.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 8:01am

    I find this completely moronic. Even GB itself realizes that the CCTV system is broken. It doesn't prevent crimes and very rarely actually helps to solve them:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8219022.stm

    I swear we might as well just spend 5K per toilet in the NYPD buildings as the results will be the same.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    silverscarcat (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 8:03am

    Re:

    I tell you this, I wouldn't feel safer with cameras watching me.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 8:07am

    It's good to know that they can be used to save us from ourselves:

    http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/boston_police_facial_recognition_software_didnt_help/

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. icon
    Zakida Paul (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 8:07am

    How do these idiots not fall down more?

    Really there is only one appropriate response to this and it comes from Benjamin Franklin -

    "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 8:07am

    Re: Hmm...

    How about requiring that every time a cop interacts with the public, it must be on camera and made available on request by the person or their representative any time in the next six months.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Dan Z, 2 May 2013 @ 8:11am

    Its funny that so many law enforcement agencies are so keen to film everyone, for everything under the incredibly slim likelihood of a terrorist event, but are incredibly opposed to their officers being filmed in the course of their duties to ensure there is no abuse of citizens. Not to mention the insane privacies granted to LEO, their names arent released even when involved in fatal shootings of questionable cause. Some animals are more equal than others.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Rob, 2 May 2013 @ 8:23am

    Re:

    How do these idiots not fall down more?

    Idiots?
    A law enforcement official pushing to expand his powers after a shocking crime is about as "idiotic" as a guy going to his boss for a raise when whatever he's working on succeeds fantastically. It's all about waiting for the opportunity.
    So I'd say that "opportunists" is the better word.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Chosen Reject (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 8:24am

    Re: Hmm...

    Cops have never been about preventing crime. Law enforcement has always been about dealing with people after they've committed a crime. Occasionally they might stop a crime in progress, or just their presence might be enough to deter a crime from starting or escalating.

    In other words, law enforcement's responsibility in terms of the Boston bombers was to catch them after the crime occurred and then to deal with them. And look, law enforcement did just that. So why is there a need for more cameras? Why is there a need to reduce privacy?

    I say let's make a deal. The only way privacy is off the table is if absolute security from crime is provided. If they can provide that, then maybe we can allow a loss in privacy. And I mean absolute security. No Boston-like bombers can ever occur again. No homicides, 1st degree, 2nd degree, or manslaughter. No robbing, stealing, thieving, or any of the like any more. I should be able to leave buckets of money in plain view on my front lawn and not have to worry at all about any of it going missing.

    If that's not the level of security that can be provided, then privacy is not off the table.

    That is what Franklin meant by his famous quote. You don't deserve safety if you give up liberty, because you can't get safety by giving up liberty. Thus, if you're willing to trade liberty for nothing (which is what you get from the trade) then you don't deserve liberty.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 8:26am

    anyone think that perhaps the Boston Bombings, as horrific as they were, may have been done intentionally, so as to back up those that were trying to get CISPA up and running, trying to remove more of the peoples freedom and privacy, trying to back up claims from people like Kelly? i always wonder what those same people would do, what they would feel like if, having done nothing wrong, never given any reason to be 'stopped and frisked', these things happened to them? i now wonder as well how far Obama is going to let this situation go because it is truly getting way out of hand!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. icon
    Coogan (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 8:30am

    Re: Re:

    A law enforcement official pushing to expand his powers after a shocking crime is about as "idiotic" as a guy going to his boss for a raise when whatever he's working on succeeds fantastically.

    An expansion of law enforcement powers almost always comes at the expense of the rights of the citizenry. Getting a raise from your boss doesn't necessarily mean your taking money away from your coworkers.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    Malibu Cusser (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 8:34am

    From Mirriam-Webster, terrorism is:

    Systematic use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective.

    From the quote above about stop and frisk:
    "stated that he targeted or focused on that group because he wanted to instill fear in them that any time they leave their homes they could be targeted by police."


    Aside from 'use of violence', how exactly are they different? Why can't people realize these that by us reacting as we do, we only encourage more terrorist acts?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    gorehound (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 8:50am

    Re: Hmm...

    Exactly ! What a big moron this person is.
    Cameras on 24/7 if you do not think We care about Privacy !

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Sean, 2 May 2013 @ 8:50am

    Correlation != Causation

    Well I have eaten a lot less meat since 9/11 and there has not been a terrorist attack near me so that must mean that I am doing something right.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. icon
    TheLastCzarnian (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 8:54am

    Turnabout

    I think it would be a good idea for someone to put a camera or two outside of his place of residence, and post the stream online.
    That will leave him to either reconsider his position or face the concequences of taking privacy "off the table." i.e. evernyone will know when he's home, when he's gone, who comes over when he's gone, etc. I'd say he'd crack in 2 weeks.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    jackn, 2 May 2013 @ 9:01am

    Re:

    Idiot and moron fit, I think the label of Terrorist is more appropriate.

    Ray Kelly wants to terrorize you into submission.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    jackn, 2 May 2013 @ 9:02am

    Re: Re: Hmm...

    I like it

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. icon
    John Fenderson (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 9:09am

    Wont' go near

    I know one place that I won't be going anywhere near. New York. The intentionally out-of-control law enforcement system is simply too dangerous.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    bob, 2 May 2013 @ 9:17am

    the chief is also incorrect as to stated facts

    the city has been attacked since 9/11, the guy who set up the car bomb that didn't go off in times square.
    that was an attack. just because it didn't succeed because of improper bomb setup doesn't mean the attack didn't occur.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. icon
    rw (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 9:39am

    Re: Re:

    I think you're right.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 9:49am

    Re: Re: Re: Hmm...

    Better yet, live stream and archive in a searchable database all public officials at all times. No more secrets.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. identicon
    Rob, 2 May 2013 @ 9:53am

    Re: Re: Re:

    I'm sorry. I should have been much, much, much more clearerer in my comparison, so as to avoid any possible misinterpretation that perhaps getting a raise was oppressing and penalizing one's co-workers, rather than my intended point. My intended point, that which I intended one to infer, and that which I tried to imply, was that, like a worker who asks for a raise when the time is right, the police chief is no fool for grabbing power right after a serious incident. That he's not an idiot for doing the wrong thing, but rather that he sees an opportunity and grabs it. One case for good, but one case for bad. The chief's case is the "for bad" one.

    Now, in the case of the chief, it should go without saying, but I suppose it doesn't, that this power grab and his oppressive attitude is a bad thing, so let me say it. It is bad that the chief takes this opportunity to gather more power and shrink the liberties of the citizens at large.

    A worker who asks for a raise at the right time is also clever, but what he does is in no way an oppression of the people, or even his co-workers. The similarity is the timing, that is to say, sensing that there is an opportunity and taking it, whether for good (getting a raise) or bad (increased surveillance of the people).

    Again, I'm sorry that I was unclear. I merely meant that the chief was no idiot. An evil not-idiot. I should have been clearer. One can be a good not-idiot, but one can also be a bad not-idiot. The chief is the bad guy here, not the wise worker. Wise worker OK, chief bad.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 10:21am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Hmm...

    Do you really want videos of a cop telling you that a loved one has been killed in a car accident, or the video taken by the cops at the accident scene available to the public. Limiting access to the people involved, or their representative respects the privacy of the people interacting with the cops, unless and until they make it public, including using it in court.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 10:57am

    He's also been queried about the notorious "stop and frisk" program, something that largely targets young minorities (87% of all stops are non-white)....

    Maybe they'd have greater success by targeting 60+ year old white women on the upper East Side?

    .....while failing to produce much in terms of results (only 1 in 10 stops result in a summons or arrest;....

    Wait, every hundred stops nets 10 criminals. It's actually 1 in 8 according to th NY ACLU ( "Stop-and-Frisk Data". New York Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved 20 March 2013.) That's way, way more than a random occurrence. Far better than sobriety checkpoints. Sounds like it works.

    ....weapons are only discovered in 0.2% of the stops).

    Ok, 2 per thousand stops. How many thousand stops have been made? Let's see, in 2011, there were 684,000 stops. : Translation: 1368 weapons off the street each year.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. icon
    Coogan (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 10:59am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Understood, and I agreed with your original point while I was writing the response. This person, and those in power who think like him, are most definitely not idiots. They know exactly what they're doing and why they're doing it. They are opportunists by any definition of the word. They're fully aware of what they're saying.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. icon
    John Fenderson (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 11:08am

    Re:

    So the ends justify the means, then?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 11:17am

    Re: Re:

    Those who are in power and fearful should be very careful, lest those tools be used to shine a light on the fearful's activities.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. icon
    Rapnel (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 11:18am

    Hmm

    You want to know what else is off the table? Me giving one iota of crap what this guy thinks of privacy. In this country no less. He doesn't deserve to keep his badge. In fact, he should probably be deported from whence his ancestors have come.

    Soon possession of the text of the Constitution will be considered evidence against you.

    NY police chief is a fucking cunt.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 11:20am

    NY Police Chief Ray Kelly Says The Boston Bombing Takes Privacy 'Off The Table'

    When a so called public servant says shit like this he should be fired.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. identicon
    Greggore, 2 May 2013 @ 11:42am

    Really? Does it?

    "NY Police Chief Ray Kelly Says The Boston Bombing Takes Privacy 'Off The Table'"

    Not at all!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 11:47am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hmm...

    Your sad story does not convince me that we don't need to hold public representatives more accountable than the public. Car accidents and death are reality. Maybe people seeing more acutal reality would be a good thing. You seem to be fine giving up some of your privacy already, why not do so for the right reason? The solution to many of our current problems is simple. Tell the truth! No secrecy, no corruption, no propaganda. Fucking liars.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 11:50am

    Re: Re:

    As long as it passes legal muster. Which is seems to.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. icon
    Jay (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 11:57am

    But...

    But some people don't have a choice. They live in the worst areas and have had their lives uprooted and ruined for this guy's personal benefit. He wants to destroy people's lives just because they are in the way of his power grab.

    That's what's most disturbing about his admission of ignoring their pleas for the sake of their suppression of civil rights.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 12:04pm

    Chief Ray Kelly, may be more right than he imagines.

    Privacy as we know it will die, we are able to record every moment of our lifes today, there is not a place on earth that there is not a recording device available and the tools to mine this information will be from the government and from the public, the government will try to piece our lifes together and the people will track and piece the lifes of government personnel.

    So yeah privacy is off the table at least the privacy we conceive today, that one is dead and gone, the thing is, is not just the government with the ability to keep an eye on things now is everyone for better or worst this is times we live in.

    This will be a battle to reestablish boundaries and see what works and what doesn't.

    Done it right loss of "privacy" will mean nothing, and that is the people who can take that privacy away without exposing others to bad experiences as much as possible will be the people in control of that new environment, no matter what others say, if people don't feel the negative impact, if it cannot be felt it will be a fairy tale, which is why law enforcement probably will never get that kind of approval ever because what they do in fact affects people in a very real sense and that is why nobody will give them control over their "privacy".

    End of crazy talk.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. icon
    Rapnel (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 12:05pm

    Re:

    Holy crap. So in 2011 they stopped 1/12th of the population of the entire city? For a random search and pat down?

    Something tells me that at the heart of that that "legal muster" is irrelevant at best. That or someone needs to get better lawyers.

    1/12 of the population searched because a guy with a badge says so? Yeah, someone is lighting their pipe with some ripped up founding documents I think. That's just horrifying. Safety is just not the first thought that crosses my mind when death by cop is more likely than death by bomb. And if you're not living the freedom you thought you were I think it might be about time to choose.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  39. identicon
    Eponymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 12:28pm

    The hypocrisy of this statement:

    -Kelly has defended these two programs with a pair dubious claims. On the anti-terrorist side, he proudly states that the city has not been attacked by terrorists since the 9/11 tragedy.-

    I would love for an enterprising journalist to ask Kelly about when NYC gets attacked again if he will then admit that these programs are a failure. I doubt he would even entertain such a line of questioning for it gets right at the heart of how those in authority set up these arguments in a way that no matter the outcome they, and the programs they spearhead, end up on the winning side of it regardless while the people loose. I would wager that he, like others before him, would instead double down and claim that the only failing of these programs post another attack is that they didn't go far enough in their efforts.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  40. icon
    Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 12:49pm

    "he proudly states that the city has not been attacked by terrorists since the 9/11 tragedy"

    And I have a rock here that keeps away tigers. Don't believe me? Do you see any tigers around? Now what are my offers? $10 from the large balding man in the white shirt.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  41. identicon
    Under the Table, 2 May 2013 @ 12:54pm

    Sure privacy's off the table...except when it comes to civilians filming the police.

    They film us and it's fine.
    We film them and it's obstruction.

    I'm certainly glad that people like this are in charge of "protecting us" /sarcasm

    link to this | view in thread ]

  42. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 1:06pm

    Re: Re: Hmm...

    I think the best idea I've heard regarding the whole 'recording police officers' thing was that every police officer would have to wear a recording device, and while they could turn it off(say to go to the bathroom), they would only have the authority of a police officer while it was on and recording.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  43. icon
    william (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 1:55pm

    "On the anti-terrorist side, he proudly states that the city has not been attacked by terrorists since the 9/11 tragedy."


    Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm.
    Lisa: That's spacious reasoning, Dad.
    Homer: Thank you, dear.
    Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
    Homer: Oh, how does it work?
    Lisa: It doesn't work.
    Homer: Uh-huh.
    Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
    Homer: Uh-huh.
    Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
    [Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]
    Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  44. icon
    meddle (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 3:22pm

    Re:

    Nice use of "statistics". In fact, if one actually looks at the numbers, there were 731 actual arrests of people possessing guns in 2011. There is no data that indicates how many of these were actually legal weapons or how many people were actually tried or convicted. The other weapons cited range from knives to stun guns. Hardly worth the greater than 615,000 people who had their rights violated.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  45. icon
    nasch (profile), 2 May 2013 @ 3:36pm

    Re:

    Lisa: That's spacious reasoning, Dad.

    Specious.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  46. identicon
    Andre, 2 May 2013 @ 8:24pm

    Re:

    Yeah, and the vast majority of those "criminals" are just people holding weed... and wow 1300 hundred weapons off the street each year!!! too bad there's millions of them on the street anyway and this does nothing to actually stop the availability of firearms

    link to this | view in thread ]

  47. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2013 @ 8:39pm

    silent anger

    pardon me gentlemen. *goes to shoot cops in ga4*

    link to this | view in thread ]

  48. identicon
    The Real Michael, 2 May 2013 @ 9:10pm

    Police chiefs in major cities are political appointees. They are cherry-picked based on their 'ability' to tow the line. Note how Bloomberg and Kelly speak in lockstep.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  49. identicon
    anon, 2 May 2013 @ 9:19pm

    Re: Hmm...

    Yeah, they could even help his son from future rape allegations, huh?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/07/greg-kelly-rape-charges_n_1261431.html

    link to this | view in thread ]

  50. identicon
    A C, 2 May 2013 @ 9:49pm

    No Wonder...

    No wonder the NYPD is going through and losing multiple civil liberties lawsuit cases right now.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  51. identicon
    Patrick, 3 May 2013 @ 10:25am

    Chief Ray Kelly Says Privacy 'Off The Table'

    Oh is does does it...... Let us go pick through Ray Kelly's FINANCES. Let us search his home for weapons he stole off people he stopped as a foot cop. Let us compare his pay grade to his material possessions. Let us see how many relatives he covered for.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  52. identicon
    Thebes, 3 May 2013 @ 10:48am

    Not only was Craft International, a private, Blackwater-like "security contractor" at the very location of the bombing five minutes beforehand- but...
    Now suspect #2 never had a gun, despite the alleged gunfight at the boat.
    Now the suspects' uncle turns out to have CIA affiliations.
    Now there is video showing suspect #2 with his backpack on after the bombing.

    AND- they want to "take privacy off the table", essentially institute martial law when they please, and have a backdoor to everyone's internet communications?

    SOMETHING is VERY wrong in this country.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  53. identicon
    Mason Wheeler, 3 May 2013 @ 10:58am

    How to lie with statistics

    He's also been queried about the notorious "stop and frisk" program, something that largely targets young minorities (87% of all stops are non-white) while failing to produce much in terms of results (only 1 in 10 stops result in a summons or arrest; weapons are only discovered in 0.2% of the stops).


    "Only" 1 in 10 stops resulting in a summons or arrest? That actually doesn't sound all that bad to me. The ratio of people who are criminals and have done something serious worthy of arrest to people in the country is far lower than 1:10, so if they're making 1:10, they're really beating the odds. And when you consider that the program is still fairly new, they're beating the odds on their first attempt!

    Sounds like a successful system to me, to be perfectly honest. Let them refine their methods a little based on data and feedback, and you'll see that 1:10 ratio improve soon enough.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  54. icon
    John Fenderson (profile), 3 May 2013 @ 11:03am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's right. Or that it's a good idea.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  55. icon
    Jeffrey Nonken (profile), 3 May 2013 @ 1:46pm

    Elephant repellent.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  56. icon
    Suburban Sheepdog (profile), 3 May 2013 @ 1:46pm

    Hey Ray, come and get me

    The vigilance that's required is not vigilance BY guys like this but vigilance OVER guys like this.

    http://suburbansheepdog.blogspot.com/2013/05/obstructing-justice.html

    link to this | view in thread ]

  57. icon
    nasch (profile), 3 May 2013 @ 3:17pm

    Re: How to lie with statistics

    "Only" 1 in 10 stops resulting in a summons or arrest? That actually doesn't sound all that bad to me.

    "The New York City stop-and-frisk program is a practice of the New York City Police Department by which a police officer who reasonably suspects a person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a felony or a penal law misdemeanor, stops and questions that person, and, if the officer reasonably suspects he or she is in danger of physical injury, frisks the person stopped for weapons."

    I think they need to work on their reasonable suspicion if they're wrong 90% of the time.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  58. identicon
    aaheart, 4 May 2013 @ 1:56am

    Off the table...our rights are not yours to take away

    Well, Chief, that means that eventually YOU are off the table because YOU are an AGENT and WE are the PRINCIPALS. You don't have the option to do anything but restrain your actions within the limitations of the Constitution of the united States of America. You took an oath of office that included adherence to those limitations. You are only allowed to function as our Agent if you can stay within the parameters we set for YOU. The Bill of Rights were not privileges granted to WE the People. They were limits on what you the Agents are permitted to do. So you've already announced that you plan to violate your oath...so that means you are serving illegitimately and taking up valuable space.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  59. icon
    Kratoklastes (profile), 4 May 2013 @ 6:30pm

    Privacy is "off the table: - excellent news!

    So when these tax-fed "big end of town" welfare queens have their shit hacked and their entire putrid squalid degenerate parasitic lives posted to pastebin, nobody can whine about it ... amirite?

    What's that, tax-eating scumbag Kelly? One law for us peons, another for the 'public servants' who suck at the tax tit?

    link to this | view in thread ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.