Take A Stand for Community Control of Police Surveillance

Donald Trump now has the keys to the surveillance state. He has inherited expansive powers and databases filled with information on millions of people. He has suggested this system could be turned on Muslim Americans and that NSA reforms triggered by Edward Snowden’s disclosures should be rolled back. While government spying is not new, the potential for abuse is greater than ever before.

But here in California, we have an opportunity to fight back.

A crucial Surveillance Technology Ordinance is currently being considered by the BART Board of Directors.

This ordinance would protect BART riders and our diverse community, giving Bay Area residents more control over how surveillance is acquired and used. Similar ordinances will need our support in cities across the Bay Area in the weeks to come.

We need to act now. Surveillance tech—particularly when acquired or used in secret—can be deployed to silence dissent or target people of color and religious minorities.

BART Police already have surveillance cameras and automatic license plate readers, collecting data that can be shared with the federal government. We won’t stand by as we face unprecedented threats to civil liberties. Community members should have a say in whether surveillance technology is necessary on our public transit system.

Sign the petition and urge the BART Board to vote “YES” for the Surveillance Technology Ordinance.

To the BART Board of Directors:

The public should be given the chance to debate when and how high-tech surveillance tools are used against them as part of their daily commute. Support the surveillance technology ordinance. Support protections against undue data collection that reveals information about the public’s comings-and-going and sensitive information about individual’s lives. Support the necessary safeguards to ensure people are not unfairly targeted as a result of their religion, skin color, income, or political beliefs.

Vote YES on a strong Surveillance Technology Ordinance, which provides for proper public debate, use policies to prevent abuse, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure BART remains a system for public transportation, and not a system for surveillance.