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Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

sfchronicle.com

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Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#611

Post by JohnFen »

frogblast wrote: post #609
JohnFen wrote: post #606

> The police usually asks for the owner’s permission to access their Tesla’s Sentry Mode backup USB drive which is located in the glove box, and download the desired content. However, if the owners can’t be located, officers obtain search warrants and tow the EVs into evidence. Why don't the cops get a search warrant for that USB drive and take that rather than confiscating the entire vehicle of innocent people?

Without first hand knowledge, I'll take a guess: if the owner of the vehicle isn't available or cooperating, then getting access to the USB drive requires opening up the vehicle without a key, which could require some time or specialized tools, or cooperation from the manufacturer. But in general, this isn't really much new. If you have home cameras, and police can obtain a search warrant, then you can be compelled t…

> or cooperation from the manufacturer.

I would have thought this was the path of least resistance (as well as doing less harm to the car owner) since they're getting a search warrant anyway.

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#612

Post by piptastic »

not sure i buy this is a trend yet, the article talks about 3 cases:

1 - vehicle wasn't involved and was about to be towed for footage as the article implies (owner came by and gave them footage during tow process)

2 - tesla was towed along with 2 other vehicles from a shootout in the parking lot (probably the cars were shot or had other evidence on them)

3 - the crime happened inside the tesla (was going to be towed regardless)

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#613

Post by JohnFen »

izacus wrote: post #608
JohnFen wrote: post #606

> The police usually asks for the owner’s permission to access their Tesla’s Sentry Mode backup USB drive which is located in the glove box, and download the desired content. However, if the owners can’t be located, officers obtain search warrants and tow the EVs into evidence. Why don't the cops get a search warrant for that USB drive and take that rather than confiscating the entire vehicle of innocent people?

What's so innocent about people running surveillance cameras and recording every person walking by on the street?

I'm talking about being innocent of the crime under investigation, not the larger societal issue.

I agree with you that this ubiquitous surveillance is detestable, but that's a whole different discussion.

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#614

Post by frogblast »

JohnFen wrote: post #611
frogblast wrote: post #609

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Without first hand knowledge, I'll take a guess: if the owner of the vehicle isn't available or cooperating, then getting access to the USB drive requires opening up the vehicle without a key, which could require some time or specialized tools, or cooperation from the manufacturer. But in general, this isn't really much new. If you have home cameras, and police can obtain a search warrant, then you can be compelled t…

> or cooperation from the manufacturer. I would have thought this was the path of least resistance (as well as doing less harm to the car owner) since they're getting a search warrant anyway.

The path of least resistance is skipping the search warrant and asking the owner politely, which the article indicates is what is happening.

But if that doesn't work, then preserving evidence is considered to be very important. For example, it would be a problem if the car owner deleted the video.

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#615

Post by immibis »

neaden wrote: post #607

This seems pretty messed up on a couple levels. Yet another way we're all being surveiled with the addition of getting your property randomly confiscated.

Sounds like your property won't be confiscated if you don't try to surveil everyone. Swings and roundabouts.

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#616

Post by JohnFen »

neaden wrote: post #607

This seems pretty messed up on a couple levels. Yet another way we're all being surveiled with the addition of getting your property randomly confiscated.

It's a great argument for not buying a Tesla, that's for sure.

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#617

Post by uoaei »

frogblast wrote: post #609
JohnFen wrote: post #606

> The police usually asks for the owner’s permission to access their Tesla’s Sentry Mode backup USB drive which is located in the glove box, and download the desired content. However, if the owners can’t be located, officers obtain search warrants and tow the EVs into evidence. Why don't the cops get a search warrant for that USB drive and take that rather than confiscating the entire vehicle of innocent people?

Without first hand knowledge, I'll take a guess: if the owner of the vehicle isn't available or cooperating, then getting access to the USB drive requires opening up the vehicle without a key, which could require some time or specialized tools, or cooperation from the manufacturer. But in general, this isn't really much new. If you have home cameras, and police can obtain a search warrant, then you can be compelled t…

> opening up the vehicle without a key, which could require some time or specialized tools, or cooperation from the manufacturer

That would require a search warrant, something the comment you're replying to already mentioned. Search warrants typically specify the means of access.

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#618

Post by thatguy0900 »

urda wrote: post #610
izacus wrote: post #608

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's so innocent about people running surveillance cameras and recording every person walking by on the street?

You have no expectation of privacy in public. Your right to seclusion or privacy does not extend to public spaces.

Honestly there are a lot of laws that don't really make sense given modern technology. It's one thing to say people have no expectation of privacy when people only have cameras, or even have to purposefully videotape you. It's another to say you will 100% be recorded in HD at all times in public and that data will be sold to any random third party to do whatever with and store forever

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#619

Post by vundercind »

urda wrote: post #610
izacus wrote: post #608

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's so innocent about people running surveillance cameras and recording every person walking by on the street?

You have no expectation of privacy in public. Your right to seclusion or privacy does not extend to public spaces.

Something doesn’t have to be illegal to be bad.

Re: Did your car witness a crime? Bay Area police may be coming for your Tesla

#620

Post by Suppafly »

piptastic wrote: post #612

not sure i buy this is a trend yet, the article talks about 3 cases: 1 - vehicle wasn't involved and was about to be towed for footage as the article implies (owner came by and gave them footage during tow process) 2 - tesla was towed along with 2 other vehicles from a shootout in the parking lot (probably the cars were shot or had other evidence on them) 3 - the crime happened inside the tesla (was going to be towed…

>1 - vehicle wasn't involved and was about to be towed for footage as the article implies

Which is definitely something that shouldn't happen and is a violation of constitutional rights.

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