Atlanta police use Signal to discuss 'Cop City' amid outcry over transparency
Source: Guardian/US
High-ranking members of police department using encrypted phone app to communicate about project amid public concern.
High-ranking members of Atlantas police department have been using Signal, an encrypted phone app, to communicate about the controversial police and fire department training center known as Cop City to each other, to other police departments and to companies involved in building the project, the Guardian has learned.
The departments move to Signal occurred some time earlier this year, after several years of public outcry about a lack of transparency regarding the project on such basic issues as cost and environmental impact. It appears the department began using the app around the same time multiple police agencies entered a forested public park where protesters were camped about a mile from the planned Cop City site on 18 January, resulting in state troopers shooting and killing Manuel Paez Terán, AKA Tortuguita.
Its alarming. Decisions are being made about controversial developments
and theyre creating private, ephemeral means of communication, further eroding lines of trust with the public, said Alejandro Ruiz, co-director of Lucy Parsons Labs, a digital transparency research organization.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/04/cop-city-atlanta-police-signal-app
They are acting spy-like.
I don't know much of anything about this Cop-City, other than it is controversial.
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Calista241
(5,594 posts)It shouldn't be a big deal. Does anyone think Cops shouldn't get continuous or ongoing training? The 'controversy' stems from the defund the police crowd that have 3 basic arguments.
1. militarized police - they think the training center could be used for 'militarization' of the police force
2. environmental - the 85 acres of land they're building the facility on is forested, and cutting trees down is bad.
3. community investment - the protesters want the $90m earmarked for the facility to be spent on education and community programs.
Magoo48
(4,872 posts)The could just as easily build CopWorld on some piece of land thats already fucked up. Some feed lot or burned out industrial park would suit their needs just as well.
ancianita
(37,221 posts)Last edited Mon Dec 4, 2023, 11:26 PM - Edit history (1)
There's been a lot going on, and one can't know everything about it all; but just so you know, DU has covered Cop City most of this past year.
Jan
https://upload.democraticunderground.com/10143022205
Feb
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217630004
March
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217725748
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016346607
April
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217861065
June
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017833246
July
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10465578
Aug
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143108690
Sep
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143125522
Oct
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143140732
Nov
https://www.democraticunderground.com/13212606
There's a long history of this park, a lot of it never originated by the people of Atlanta.
Wikipedia could probably use some of DU's coverage in its cop city entry.
quakerboy
(14,002 posts)More like some sort of corrupt organization.