Boston, Regional Police Dodge Transparency Ordinance In Bolstering Surveillance Network At a public hearing at the end of November, Boston police and officials heard from activists and lawmakers concerned about transparency regarding surveillance technology in the city. The gunshot detection system ShotSpotter received particular criticism over accuracy and deployment, but officials defended the tech and […]
CENTRA INTELLIGENCE
New Documents Reveal Extent, Cost Of BPD’s Secret Surveillance Strategy After more than 100 white supremacists gathered in Boston and marched through the city over Independence Day weekend, city and law enforcement officials said they “did not have intelligence” that the nationally-known Patriot Front group was coming to the Hub—despite paying a government contractor with […]
THE PANDEMIC PAYDAY CONTINUES—FOR CONSULTANTS
Image via City Life/Vida Urbana Mass uses questionable tools to investigate eviction relief applicants State officials are spending more than $750,000 of COVID-19 aid on corporate consultants who will investigate applicants for eviction relief by running analytics on applications that housing advocates say can prevent residents from getting the relief they need. And while officials […]
MASS SEEKS TO CREATE AI TASK FORCE, WON’T PUBLICLY NAME APPOINTEES
“This body does not seem to be centering issues related to accountability, justice, racial discrimination or other forms of bias.”
BINJ IMPACT ON THE SURVEILLANCE FRONT IN BOSTON
We have continued to cover these issues with our publishing partners, most recently via Dan Atkinson and his excellent work for DigBoston.