Austin TX cops have access to Austin Energy records

Found this while DIGGing around.


Link to story

11.05.2007
Confirmed- Austin Energy Providing Customer Data To Austin Police

I can now confirm that Austin Police have access to Austin Energy customer usage information. The City of Austin, in response to my open records request, turned over an agreement titled "Utility Database Confidentiality Agreement." This agreement gives Austin PD the right to search Austin Energy customer information without a warrant.

Here is the history. I received an email from the NORML listserv. An Austin resident was concerned the police were using customer information to obtain search warrants for marijuana grow operations. I, along with ACLU Texas, filed open information requests to confirm this story.

The City of Austin withheld further information pending an AG opinion. For those who are not familiar with Open Records requests, Attorney General Opinions are often sought to delay releasing information.

The City of Austin claims they will not release further information because it would "permit private citizens to anticipate weakness in a police department, avoid detection, jeopardize officer safety, and generally undermine police efforts to effectuate the laws of the State."

It is a sad day for freedom when your power company become an agent for law enforcement. Is the danger from cannabis so great that we must give up our privacy?

The War on Drugs makes us all less safe and less free. Austin Police have 127 unsolved murders they could be working on. Instead they are wasting resources on indoor pot farms. Unplug your tanning bed and hot tub or else expect Austin SWAT to visit.

Posted by Robert Guest

Click to expand...

Tyranny!!! Let's see... in the eyes of the "law" every citizen now becomes guilty of something until proven innocent, or they catch you and prove you guilty. How easy it is to invade personal lives as if we are already under a dictatorship?

Dickheads...

At least Kucinich (?sp) talks of getting rid of Blackwater and other paid militia. I wonder who would fit well with RP to stop this bullshit. It is a war against personal freedom (of choice)

thanks for the info

shouldn't come as a surprise at all-watch your backs, stay small and tell no one

this is not the first time.
this was in san diego. (2004)
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/03/25/news/coastal/3_24_0422_46_46.txt

we all have to watch our back and do some R&D before moving to a new location.

Fuq me! I wonder if Florida does something similar? Wouldnt surprise me at all.

Last night at the gym next door I secretly replaced all their bikes. Now they power my grow.

High Utility Bills May Lead Police To Your Door

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=7322955&nav=0s3d

Posted: Nov 7, 2007 12:09 AM

The special lights and watering systems used to grow marijuana indoors can spike a utility bill, easily doubling it.

The American Civil Liberties Union said most police departments would have to work for the information it believes may unfairly profile people.

"In most cases, though, it's a private company, and the police department would have to get a subpoena to go after anybody they suspected," said Debbie Russell of the Central Texas ACLU.

A utility database confidentiality agreement allows the Austin Police Department to access Austin Energy usage numbers.

"State law allows us to share information with other governmental entities, and APD is, of course, a city department," said Ed Clark of Austin Energy. " And so, really and truly, we wouldn't have a basis on which to deny information to them, and on the other hand, we are interested in assisting them."

An APD representative agreed to talk to KXAN Austin News about using energy usage information, but just before the interview, the agency got a call from its attorneys, advising to refrain from commenting on the issue.

APD issued a statement that said every case must go through the legal process, where all tactics are reviewed. It also said APD is confident that the measures it utilizes follow the law.

The ACLU is trying to find out whether APD is searching energy use to find possible pot growers, without just cause.

"Are they profiling? Are they saying that anybody who uses this amount of energy must be a pot grower?" said Russell. "And kicking people's doors in late at night, when it might be an 85-year-old lady growing African violets?"

The Texas Attorney General's office is getting involved, and the ACLU said this could be the beginning of a lengthy fight.

"This, I think, is opening up a whole interesting can of worms," said Russell.

only a totalitarian government would support such tactics.

In my opinion, desperate times call for desperate measures in LEO's eyes. With so many variations of lifestyle not just in Austin,TX but in the USA as a whole I think most small (1000w or less) growers have nothing to worry about provided the grower follows other common sense rules like tell nobody, show nobody, don't steal electricity, etc... Good luck all and stay safe.

In my opinion, desperate times call for desperate measures in LEO's eyes. With so many variations of lifestyle not just in Austin,TX but in the USA as a whole I think most small (1000w or less) growers have nothing to worry about provided the grower follows other common sense rules like tell nobody, show nobody, don't steal electricity, etc... Good luck all and stay safe.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I kind of tend to agree with that.

What I would find disturbing though is that with the modern technology that they would start looking for patterns in usage, like 12/12 and target hobbyist's in that manner.

For instance my provider recently went all digital, they can read my meter from a central location and monitor my usage 24/7 by computer. It really wouldn't be that hard to identify a pattern, even though my usage is low when compared to my neighbors.

I think they would need a warrant for such detailed shit... after RP, they can get the fck out of our business. pricks, like they have nothing better to do.. Um, catch murderers. When was the last time you heard them on the news being proud that they finally caught a rapist, murderer, etc....? Now, they come on big when busting MJ and have parties to signify their place in the big brother campaign.

SomeGuy said:

Yeah, I kind of tend to agree with that.

What I would find disturbing though is that with the modern technology that they would start looking for patterns in usage, like 12/12 and target hobbyist's in that manner.

For instance my provider recently went all digital, they can read my meter from a central location and monitor my usage 24/7 by computer. It really wouldn't be that hard to identify a pattern, even though my usage is low when compared to my neighbors.

Click to expand...

all u got to do is make/get a flip box and run 2 12/12 grows next to eachother (2 of the 4x8 hydrohuts anyone?)
that way your burning full wattage 24/7
it could be a PC, life support machines, A/C etc..

i actualy thought about cutting down some of my wattage for my next round because of my energy useage.

They would have arrested Tesla on suspicion of growing marijuana

They would have arrested Tesla on suspicion of growing marijuana


Suspected pot operation causes power surges
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA110607.potpower.KENS.1e6998e98.html
Web Posted: 11/06/2007 11:57 PM CST

Karen Grace
KENS 5 Eyewitness News

Police have arrested one person after power surges at a North Central San Antonio apartment complex sparked suspicion. Officers say the person was using all the electricity, possibly to grow marijuana.

Investigators said maintenance workers at the Ashley Oaks Apartments, in the 16400 block of Henderson Pass, called police after residents had been complaining of power problems.

On Wednesday, undercover narcotics officers pulled the plug on the operation.

"They used electrical cords to rig up, and possibly to grow, where they're growing marijuana plants. Unfortunately, this guy's not an electrician," said an undercover officer, whose identity KENS 5 is protecting.

Officers say the shoddy work was a fire hazard, and had all electricity shut off to avoid an inferno.

The setup was "creating a lot of heat, and power surges to the other apartments," the officer said.

Late Wednesday, detectives received a search warrant to determine how much marijuana, if any, was in the apartment.

Officers say the shoddy work was a fire hazard, and had all electricity shut off to avoid an inferno.

Click to expand...

Thank goodness we have places like ICmag as a reference so we don't have to do stupid crap like that.

On one hand, you feel sorry for the guy that got popped, but on the other hand, do you REALLY want to be living in the same building with the guy?

It's craziness.

At the time the article was published, they hadn't even found any marijuana growing

This motivates growers to steal their juice.

Not a wise move for the utilities.

There is similar bullshit going on in Surrey, BC, Canada. The cops figure they have shut down 60% of the 8-20 light grow-ops in Surrey by going around with the city electrical inspectors. They don't need a warrant if they are with the electrical inspector. If you don't answer the door, you get a 48 hour notice to inspect, (just enough time to tear down). If you don't allow them in, they simply shut your electricity off. Granted, this is a little easier to take than the Nazi tactics of law enforcment in some parts of the USA, (at least a SWAT team isn't coming in), however, this is the beginning of the erosion of freedom in BC.