Police Crack Down on Street Takeovers With High-Tech Surveillance as 4th Amendment Battles Loom

Audio devices trained to listen for vehicular chaos add to a growing surveillance network in California.
Police Crack Down on Street Takeovers With High-Tech Surveillance as 4th Amendment Battles Loom
An automated license plate reader mounted on a pole in San Francisco, on June 13, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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LOS ANGELES—As police across California crack down on illegal street racing, takeovers, and sideshows, technology companies are marketing new surveillance tools to meet the demand—prompting questions about the implications for privacy rights and Fourth Amendment protections.

In the Bay Area and Los Angeles, where incidents have become increasingly brazen and violent in recent years, often drawing hundreds of attendees and overwhelming police, agencies already rely on planes, drones, and automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras as they aim to reduce the risk to first responders.
Beige Luciano-Adams
Beige Luciano-Adams
Author
Beige Luciano-Adams is an investigative reporter covering Los Angeles and statewide issues in California. She has covered politics, arts, culture, and social issues for a variety of outlets, including LA Weekly and MediaNews Group publications. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X: https://twitter.com/LucianoBeige
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