Am I On A Police Watchlist
Most people never think about being on any of the police agency watch lists. But writers, well, were different.
Most people dont go to the Writers Police Academy and find out how to get away with arson, or what types of biologic creatures you could commit a perfect murder with, or how hard it would be to dismember a body.
Most people dont sit in an airport and try to think up ways for a terrorist to cause, well, terror.
But writers do these things. We also search on-line for poisons, ask how fast a body could fall from a 10th floor balcony and what would happen to it when it hit, what the response time is for police in a specific town/area, and lots of other kinda creepy things.
We do this because we want our stories to be as authentic as possible. I have called a Fire Chief who does arson inspections and asked them if my scenario for a gas explosion in a house was believable. He gave me some great input on why I should change the type of trigger I was using because mine would be detectable. I had to pause then, because I actually did prefer it to be detectable. I would have a really hard time sleeping at night if I felt I was putting information out that might give anyone a really bad idea, and that it could/would work. The Chief’s last words to me were, “You’re not going to try this at home, right?”
And if I AM on a watch list? I hope they buy my books to get the whole story before they arrest me. And I hope my friends will come bail me out. You will, right? Right?
Applications For Court Orders Relating To A Child’s Travel And The Family Law Watchlist
An order placing the child on the Family Law Watchlist must be specific and not implied. The AFP prefers that orders include a defined period of 2 to 3 years for any restrictions on a child’s travel.
For an absolute prohibition on travel , the AFP prefers the following wording in an application for a court order:
“That until further order each party, their servants and/or agents be and are hereby restrained by injunction, and irrespective of authenticated consent as contemplated in Part VII of the Family Law Act 1975, from removing or attempting to remove or causing or permitting the removal of the said child/children from the Commonwealth of Australia for a period of months/years AND IT IS REQUESTED that the Australian Federal Police give effect to this order by placing the name/names of the said child/children on the Family Law Watchlist in force at all points of arrival and departure in the Commonwealth of Australia and maintain the child’s/children’s name/names on the Watchlist for the said period, or until the Court orders its removal.”
For conditional prohibition on travel with consent of the parties involved, the AFP prefers the following wording in an application for a court order:
You should seek legal advice before seeking court orders.
How Do I Know If Im On The Watch List
You probably wont ever know for sure if youre on the master watch list. The FBI doesnt disclose its contents. But its a good bet that if the bureau visits you about a terrorism-related investigation, youre probably on there.
As a result of the ACLUs lawsuit with Knaeble, the government in 2015 began telling Americans they were on the no-fly list and offering some reasons. Travelers still dont get advance notice, however, so the only way to find out if you cant fly is to try to board a plane and see whether you get accosted by security. People on the list can file for redress. But Hugh Handeyside, a staff attorney with the ACLUs National Security Project, says the government provides scant information and there is still no process for contesting your inclusion in front of a neutral third-party.
Knaeble, the U.S. Army veteran stranded in Bogotá, was eventually able to return to the United States in August 2010 but not without trouble. He traveled for 12 days, passing through Panama City before arriving in Mexicali, California. Along the way, American and foreign authorities detained, interrogated, and searched him numerous times.
Even though the government has changed its policies about alerting travelers on the no-fly list, theACLU contends that the process is still far short of constitutional and is fighting in court to get it changed. The debate continues.
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Q: What Kind Of Law Enforcement Officers Might Try To Question Me
A: You could be questioned by a variety of law enforcement officers, including state or local police officers, Joint Terrorism Task Force members, or federal agents from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security , Drug Enforcement Administration, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or other agencies.
Q: What Else Can I Do To Be Prepared
A: You should keep informed about issues that matter to you by going to the library, reading the news, surfing the internet, and speaking out about what is important to you. In case of emergency, you should have a family planthe number of a good friend or relative that anyone in the family can call if they need help, as well as the number of an attorney. If you are a non-citizen, remember to carry your immigration documents with you.
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You Dont Have To Be A Suspect Or Involved In A Crime For Law Enforcement To Get Your Data
So, lets say youve decided that you will never commit a crime so law enforcement obtaining your data will never be an issue for you. Youre wrong.
As mentioned above, your data could be included in a purchase from a data broker. Or it may be scooped up in a digital dragnet, also known as a reverse search warrant, where police request data about a large group of people in the hope of finding their suspect within them.
These are novel techniques to discover things that never could have been discovered in the past, and which have the capacity to rope in innocent people, Granick, of the ACLU, said.
Two examples of this: where you went and what you searched for. In a geofence warrant, law enforcement gets information about all the devices that were in a certain area at a certain time say, where a crime occurred then narrows them down and gets account information for the device they think belong to their suspect. For keyword warrants, police may ask a browser for all the IP addresses that searched for a certain term related to their case and then identify a possible suspect from that group.
These situations still represent a legal gray area. While some judges have called them a Fourth Amendment violation and refused the governments requests for warrants, others have allowed them. And weve seen at least one instance where reverse search warrants have led to the arrest of an innocent person.
Can People In The Fbis Terrorist Screening Database Buy Guns
Yes. Prospective gun buyers can only be denied if they fall into one of nine categories of purchasers prohibited under federal law felons and drug users, for example. Being a suspected terrorist isnt one of them. The Government Accountability Office reported that between 2004 and 2015, known or suspected terrorists tried to buy guns 2,477 times and 91 percent of their background checks were approved.
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Use Of The Advisory List
The following are required to check whether an applicant is on the list prior to employing or appointing them:
- Home Office police forces in England and Wales
- Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners
- Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire & Rescue Services
- Independent Police Complaints Commission
If an applicant is on the advisory list, then they must consider the information regarding why they are on the list as part of the vetting process. In order to do this, appropriate HR and vetting staff in these organisations will have full access to the advisory list published on a private information site for this purpose.
There is no public access to the advisory list.
V Rights At Airports And Other Ports Of Entry Into The United States
REMEMBER: It is illegal for law enforcement officers to perform any stops, searches, detentions or removals based solely on your race, national origin, religion, sex or ethnicity. However, Customs and Border Protection officials can stop you based on citizenship or travel itinerary at the border and search all bags.
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Q: What Should I Do If Immigration Officers Arrest Me
A: Assert your rights. Non-citizens have rights that are important for their immigration cases. You do not have to answer questions. You can tell the officer you want to speak with a lawyer. You do not have to sign anything giving up your rights, and should never sign anything without reading, understanding and knowing the consequences of signing it. If you do sign a waiver, immigration agents could try to deport you before you see a lawyer or a judge. The immigration laws are hard to under- stand. There may be options for you that the immigration officers will not explain to you. You should talk to a lawyer before signing anything or making a decision about your situation. If possible, carry with you the name and telephone number of a lawyer who will take your calls.
Q: What Are Warrants And What Should I Make Sure They Say
A: A warrant is a piece of paper signed by a judge giving law enforcement officers permission to enter a home or other building to do a search or make an arrest. A search warrant allows law enforcement officers to enter the place described in the warrant to look for and take items identified in the warrant. An arrest warrant allows law enforcement officers to take you into custody. An arrest warrant alone does not give law enforcement officers the right to search your home , and a search warrant alone does not give them the right to arrest you . A warrant must contain the judges name, your name and address, the date, place to be searched, a description of any items being searched for, and the name of the agency that is conducting the search or arrest. An arrest warrant that does not have your name on it may still be validly used for your arrest if it describes you with enough detail to identify you, and a search warrant that does not have your name on it may still be valid if it gives the correct address and description of the place the officers will be searching. However, the fact that a piece of paper says warrant on it does not always mean that it is an arrest or search warrant. A warrant of deportation/removal, for example, is a kind of administrative warrant and does not grant the same authority to enter a home or other building to do a search or make an arrest.
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In 2016, the Lowell Police Department opened an internal investigation into officer David Pender, after he was accused of using “unnecessary force” against a 16-year-old boy.
The department found him guilty and put him on a six-month unpaid suspension, ordered him to complete anger management training, give up his position as a school resource officer, and serve a two-year probation. Pender was sued earlier this year by another man alleging he punched him during a traffic stop.
A city spokesperson said he remains on active duty. Pender did not respond to a request for comment through his lawyer.
Pender is one of dozens of officers named on a prosecutorial watch list kept by the Middlesex district attorneys office. Known as a Brady list, the DAs document currently tracks more than 100 officers. All were flagged by prosecutors as either having engaged in or been accused of misconduct that the DA’s office might legally need to disclose to the defense as the information could speak to officers’ credibility.
WBUR found at least three of the states 11 district attorneys maintain some form of their own Brady list.
The inconsistency of prosecutors Brady practices raises questions about how those that dont organize information about police misconduct comply with their constitutional requirements in court.
How Does The Fbi Watch List Work And Could It Have Prevented Orlando
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Of all the details investigators have uncovered about Orlando terrorist Omar Mateen, perhaps the most infuriating is the fact that he spent 10 months on a government watch list, yet had no trouble buying an assault rifle and a handgun.
Authorities placed Mateen on a watch list in May 2013 after coworkers at the Florida courthouse where he was a security guard told authorities he boasted of connections to al Qaeda and other terrorists organizations. He remained on the list for 10 months, and FBI Director James Comey told reporters this week that during that time the agency placed Mateen under surveillance and had confidential sources meet with him.
But the feds removed Mateen from the list in March 2014, after concluding that he had no significant links to terrorism beyond attending the same mosque as an American suicide bomber who died in Syria. “We don’t keep people under investigation indefinitely, Comey said, adding that he doesn’t see anything that his agents should have done differently.
Comey didnt identify the list Mateen was on, but an unnamed official told the Daily Beast that he was in two databases, the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment database and the Terrorist Screening Database, more commonly called the terrorist watch list.
Here’s a look at what the lists are and how someone gets their name on one.
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How Did Police 10 Codes Originate
Originally, Police 10 codes were used in the United States law enforcement community prior to the Second World War. In 1940, the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials published the first official set of police 10 codes. These radio signals were invented to help reduce the use of speech on the police radio. In addition, the codes enable a certain amount of privacy to the radio transmissions. Meaning, someone must know the meaning of the signals to understand the discussion.
In 1974, the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials expanded the use of the police radio codes to make them briefer and to standardize message traffic.
Q: Are There Any Exceptions To The General Rule That I Do Not Have To Answer Questions
A: Yes, there are two limited exceptions. First, in some states, you must provide your name to law enforcement officers if you are stopped and told to identify yourself. But even if you give your name, you are not required to answer other questions. Second, if you are driving and you are pulled over for a traffic violation, the officer can require you to show your license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance .
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What The Advisory List Contains
The police advisory list is a list of all officers, special constables and staff members who have resigned or retired during an investigation or who leave before an allegation comes to light. It also includes designated volunteers who have had their designated status withdrawn because of conduct or performance matters.
Individuals on the advisory list will be able to apply for review of their status after five years in all cases and the College will make this decision based on whether it is appropriate to remove the individual.
Q: What If Law Enforcement Officers Threaten Me With A Grand Jury Subpoena If I Dont Answer Their Questions
A: If a law enforcement officer threatens to get a subpoena, you still do not have to answer the officers questions right then and there, and any- thing you do say can be used against you. The officer may or may not succeed in getting the subpoena. If you receive a subpoena or an officer threatens to get one for you, you should call a lawyer right away. If you are given a subpoena, you must follow the subpoenas direction about when and where to report to the court, but you can still assert your right not to say anything that could be used against you in a criminal case.
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Protecting Privacy And Safeguarding Civil Liberties
The TSC is dedicated to ensuring watchlisting and screening activities are conducted in a manner consistent with protecting privacy and civil liberties. Individuals are included in the watchlist when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that a person is a known or suspected terrorist. Individuals are not watchlisted based solely on race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, or any First Amendment-protected activities such as free speech, the exercise of religion, freedom of press, freedom of peaceful assembly, and petitioning the government for redress of grievances.
And the TSC regularly conducts comprehensive and case-specific quality assurance reviews of data in the Terrorist Screening Database to ensure the U.S. Governments substantive criteria for watchlisting is met and to ensure the records maintained in the watchlist are current, accurate, and thorough.