Xref: utzoo comp.org.eff.talk:2406 alt.privacy:637
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!cyberoid
From: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Jacobson)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk,alt.privacy
Subject: Red Squad BBSs?
Message-ID: <1991May17.071900.21980@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 17 May 91 07:19:00 GMT
Organization: Human Interface Technology Lab, Univ. of Wash., Seattle
Lines: 41


In 1985, the ACLU of Southern California filed charges against the
L.A.P.D. claiming that the department was illegally bandying about
confidential records of persons investigated and/or arrested but
not prosecuted as a result of participation in "public disturbances."
In fact, the police unit accused of this activity was the PDID, the
Public Disturbance Investigative Division (I believe).

One officer was finally discharged from the L.A.P.D. for taking
police records and uploading them to a BBS in Virginia operated by
the Western Goals, a right-wing foundation dedicated to keeping tabs
on everyone else in the nation, particularly those of a liberal or
radical persuasion.  This bit of lunacy made the press.  What did not
get wide treatment was an accompanying claim by the ACLU attorneys,
made after the settlement with the L.A.P.D. was arranged, that they
had reason to believe -- but no resources to investigate -- rumors
that "red squads" at police departments around the country maintain
well-secured BBSs precisely for the purpose of transmitting and
storing information about people they believe to be dissidents.  This
information, so it was alleged, was the stuff that police could not
legitimately collect or share, but which the red squads found useful
in their eternal battle against political incorrectness.

All of this went away, after awhile.  But a recent article in the
journal, THE NATION, indicated that red squads are coming back.  In
the wake of widespread, if vain, opposition to the Gulf War, and in
preparation for general dissatisfaction among the populace if the
economy continues to dive, the red squads, so the author reported,
are getting their acts together.  If so, are they also putting the
BBSs back into action?

I have asked this question of FBI and other law enforcement agencies
and, surprisingly, do not get laughed out of the room.  They take
the allegations seriously...but there is no evidence acquired to
make the case for an investigation.  Is this just a chimera, or is
there something to the rumor?  How can anyone know?  I think this is
an interesting topic for conversation and action, if the right action
can be specified.

Bob Jacobson
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