Maryland State Police Spied on Peace, Anti-Death Penalty Groups

This seems to be a touch of the Patriot Act gone wild, while the act on the surface had good intentions, this activity by the Maryland State police shows how it can be used to try and justify spying on the citizens.

Maryland State Police Spied on Peace, Anti-Death Penalty Groups

The American Civil Liberties Union released documents Thursday showing that undercover officers from the Maryland State Police spied on peace groups and anti-death penalty protesters for over a year in 2005 and 2006. The police summaries and intelligence logs reveal that covert agents infiltrated groups like the antiwar Baltimore Pledge of Resistance, the Baltimore Coalition Against the Death Penalty, and the Committee to Save Vernon Evans, a death row prisoner. We speak with antiwar activist Max Obuszewski and with journalist Dave Zirin. Both were the target of surveillance.

To view the video : RealVideo

How many other states are doing this?



ed:context


[edit on 7/24/2008 by JacKatMtn]

It must be an election year

Congress is now reviewing DHS's involvement in the Maryland state police, surveillance spying on protest groups in the state.

www.examiner.com

The congressman who heads the committee overseeing the Department of Homeland Security is asking for a review of the agency's involvement in Maryland State Police surveillance of anti-war and death penalty opposition groups.

"The politically motivated surveillance of dissident domestic groups that have neither a link to terrorism nor promote violence is ... a deplorable use of taxpayer funds," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Documents detailing the surveillance in 2005 and 2006 were released last week in response to a lawsuit filed by the Maryland chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

I can see them now...

"I am shocked ansd appalled that this violation of privacy would be conducted in the name of homeland security, we will take every measure to ensure the American public that this type of unwarranted surveillance will never happen again....

...and don't forget to vote for me in November.

Thank you"
[/sarcasm]

Today the Maryland state police superintendent voiced his opinion on the situation and admitted concern over the tactics used and assured the people that ""is not occurring now and will not be occurring in the future. It will not be a part of the Maryland State Police."

www.baltimoresun.com

The Maryland State Police superintendent said today that he is "troubled" by methods used to infiltrate and monitor peace activists and anti-death penalty groups and pledged that such tactics "will not be a part" of his agency.

Col. Terrence B. Sheridan said the 14-month operation in 2005 and 2006, revealed last week when the ACLU released state police summaries and computer logs, "grew out of concern" over two pending executions.

"I believe that is a rational explanation," Sheridan said at a news conference to announce the findings of an internal review on the matter. "It's just the tactics that are very concerning to me."