Disguised Spy Cameras Installed On Power Poles In Texas Town

(Source: KCBD)

LUBBOCK, TEXAS – Stealthy surveillance cameras are being installed on Lubbock Power and Light (LP&L) utility poles and they are raising questions from residents.

Hundreds of citizens jumped on the local news affiliate KCBD’s Facebook page to address the puzzling issues. LP&L stated that the Orwellian privacy probes are part of the local police surveillance program.

One of the two spy boxes that were found on Uvalde Avenue and Auburn Street has an LP&L company logo on it that they cops say is used to hide the 4th Amendment violating video equipment.

The cops admitted that LP&L are not the only city owned company that installs the camera equipment for them. A deeply concerned citizen, Jason Mendez who posted his grievance to KCBD’s Facebook page.

Mendez stated that he has resided in this neighborhood for over 20 years and that there is little to no crime on his street.
“For somebody to sit there and watch and see what I’m doing, that’s invading my privacy. It’s very disrespectful, I don’t really see anything in it,”  he said.  “Some just said the cameras are to protect the neighborhood but from what I know, people say there’s none in their areas so why is it just going to be on this block?” he questioned. “There’s not that much crime rate around here.”

Another resident, Diana Arguelles has been in this neighborhood all of her life and exclaimed that her rights have been infringed.
“They’re violating our privacy that’s the way we feel. We’re upset about it too our neighbors are very upset. They’re invading our privacy. We didn’t even know what was going on, what are they looking for? What are they doing?” Melissa Olmstead posted “This should be ILLEGAL! Those cameras can look into our backyards!!”

Matt Rose an LP&L Spokesman said that the way that the Lubbock Police Department operate their day-to-day operations is their problem. He stated,
“Our poles and our lines are owned by the city of Lubbock and so if the Lubbock Police Department in pursuit of a particular investigation feels it necessary to use that equipment they notify us and of course, we make that equipment available.”

[adinserter block=”1″]Lt. Ray Mendoza, the public information officer at the Lubbock PD says that he understands that people are upset but these are only for criminal investigations.

Mendoza blabbed “People are going to be concerned about their rights and their privacy but they just need to understand that we’re not putting them in anybody’s backyard or monitoring anybody’s backyard,” Mendoza said. “We’re placing them where the suspects can gain access to maybe a target and then that’s what we’re focusing on.” He went on to reveal that they have had these types of spy boxes around town since 2007.

(Source: KCBD)

Lubbock Councilman Victor Hernandez said that he talked to Police Chief Stevens about this on this matter but stayed neutral and just responded by saying “He’s got a handle on it.”  When law enforcement chooses to use electronic surveillance as a tool it limits and erodes the rights of the citizens to be left alone. In March of last year a Freedom fighting State Representative from Bedford, Jonathan Stickland filed a bill to cut off water and electricity to agencies who chose to spy on their citizens, the resurrection of this bill is a possible chain of command solution.   The increasing stabs to our vulnerability as humans to live without being monitored is approaching impending doom.  What’s left is the resistance to hack away with a hatchet, eviscerate with a saw, or mask with color coating.

By Andre’ Gabriel Esparza – DontComply.com