About Oakland Privacy
Oakland Privacy is a citizens’ coalition that works regionally to defend the right to privacy and enhance public transparency and oversight regarding the use of surveillance techniques and equipment. We were instrumental in the creation of the first standing municipal citizens’ privacy advisory commission in the City of Oakland, and we have engaged in privacy-enhancing legislative efforts with several Northern California cities and regional entities.
As experts on municipal privacy reform, we have written use policies and impact reports for a variety of surveillance technologies, conducted research and investigations, and developed frameworks for the implementation of equipment with respect for civil rights, privacy protections and community control.
Statement of Purpose
Oakland Privacy has used public records research to find out what surveillance equipment is in use, how it was paid for, whether there is a usage policy in effect, how the equipment has been used including the frequency and purposes of such use, and complaints or legal actions as a result of such use.
Records requests, among others, have identified helicopter aircraft in use in the East Bay, captured the volume of automated license plate readers (ALPR) scans and queries sent to the Northern California fusion center (NCRIC) and verified ICE and DHS participation in Alameda County SWAT exercises.
The purpose of this public records guide is to share what we have learned about public records as a tool for surveillance advocacy and enable others to continue and build upon our efforts.
This guide was created by David Fang and Yadi Younse, with consultation by Mike Latz Lacabe, J.P Massar and Tracy Rosenberg and supported by the Privacy Rights Fund of the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment.