Mike Katz-Lacabe

@mlacabe.bsky.social

192 Followers 180 Following

Director of Research at Oakland Privacy focused on law enforcement surveillance technologies (ALPR, StingRay, etc) and public records requests. Parent. Spouse. Card-carrying Antifa member. Posts are just me.

Image of text from ABC News article: "According to sources familiar with the investigation, Perez sat for an interview with regulators in recent months and acknowledged some of the trades. At some point during the investigation, the sources said the CFTC alerted federal prosecutors in Manhattan, who declined to open a criminal investigation."
Photograph of Los Angeles Police Department Motorola Reaper L5F (VSR-50-925) license plate readers on Winnetka Avenue.
Text from agenda item: Acceptance of the donated sauna and cold plunge supports the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office commitment to operational readiness, resiliency, recovery, and long-term performance for personnel assigned to specialized tactical operations. SWAT personnel routinely operate in high stress environments involving elevated physical exertion, sleep disruption, critical incident exposure, and sustained operational demands requiring ongoing physical and cognitive readiness.
Text from agenda item for July 14, 2026 meeting: Executive Summary: The purpose of this staff report is to authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) for continued partnership in the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. The program enhances school safety and helps to sustain a positive learning environment. The Police Department will continue to provide one police officer for each of the six FUSD high schools within the City of Fremont. FUSD will provide office space, furnishings and a telephone line for each officer. The cost of the program will be jointly shared by the City of Fremont and FUSD. On June 24, 2026, the SRO MOU was approved by the FUSD Board during their scheduled Board Meeting.
Text of Mendocino County agenda item: Discussion and Possible Action Including Direction to Staff to Return to the Board with an Urgency Ordinance Establishing a Temporary Moratorium Prohibiting the Processing and Approval of New Data Centers to Allow for Evaluation of the Public Health and Environmental Impacts (Sponsors: Supervisor Haschak and Supervisor Williams) Recommended Action: Direct staff to return to the Board with an urgency Ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium prohibiting the processing and approval of new data centers to allow for evaluation of the public health and environmental impacts.
Text of Coachella agenda item: 17. A Public Hearing to Consider an Urgency Ordinance Extending the Temporary Moratorium on Data Center Development for 10 Months and 15 Days and Issuance of Written Report Pursuant to California Government Code Section 65858
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) requires cellular telephone pings for investigative reasons, such as locating missing persons, tracking wanted suspects, and locating runaway juveniles. The cellular telephone ping service, otherwise known as GPS locator, is a critical tool for ACSO investigators in their course of locating missing persons or tracking subjects. Pings may be requested for exigent circumstances. These situations include, but are not limited to, locating an armed suspect who poses a risk to the public, locating a kidnapped victim, and locating a missing person who has expressed suicidal ideations. Pings may also be obtained pursuant to an issued search warrant during investigations of crimes. Without the use of AT&T's cellular telephone ping service, there will be a delay in locating subjects and solving crimes. Cell phone pings can only be performed by the carrier that provides service to the specific device, and charges apply for each request. As a result, ACSO must work directly with the applicable carrier to obtain location data. If a phone is serviced by AT&T, only AT&T can process the ping request and provide the location information.
Scene from the show "The Boys" in which a character says "And we all deserve paid vacation days, and a dental plan."
Text from agenda item: The Sheriff's Office is requesting your Board's authorization to sell retiring Senior Detentions Deputy Marcus Alan Kochanski his duty weapon upon retirement. Marcus Alan Kochanski's duty weapon is a Glock model 47; serial number CFBA670, valued at $305. Marcus Alan Kochanski will commence terminal vacation on June 18, 2026, with an effective retirement date of June 19, 2026.
Text from agenda item for Kern County Sheriff seeking approval from the Kern County Board of Supervisors for COPS to film for its show: The Sheriff's Office would like to grant filming access of Sheriff's Office personnel during the performance of their duties to Langley Productions, Inc. for their television show "COPS." "COPS" can be viewed on the Fox Nation streaming service and is one of their top-rated television shows. This will benefit the Kern County Sheriff's Office for recruitment purposes by allowing our department to be displayed on a national platform. In addition, this will enhance transparency between the Sheriff's Office and the community that we serve. The contract allows the Kern County Sheriff's Office to approve any content prior to airing. Langley Productions, Inc. provides their own liability insurance.
Photographs of two Motorola Solutions license plate readers installed on a street light pole in Los Angeles.
Text of letter from Embassy of the Republic of Zambia to Mike Katz-Lacabe Dear Mike, May 21, 2026 REF: RIGHTSCON CONFERENCE Reference is made to the above subject. I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 2, 2026 regarding the above subject. Your concerns are well received and have been shared with Headquarters. We further wish to assure you that the Government of the Republic of Zambia remains committed to upholding the principles of transparency and mutual trust in our bilateral relations. Zambia remains a credible and valued partner in the global community. We are committed to working closely with our international allies to address concerns raised by different stakeholders and individuals like you and strengthen our shared goals of promoting human rights and democratic governance in the digital age. Sincerely yours, Chibamba Kanyama AMBASSADOR
Screen capture from Los Angeles Times article: "At least eight members of an LAPD anti-gang unit are under internal investigation for failing to activate their body-worn cameras and pulling people over without documenting the traffic stops, according to four sources with knowledge of the case. Officers from the 77th Street Division’s gang enforcement detail were caught making so-called “ghost stops” while being monitored by undercover LAPD investigators, according to the four sources, who requested anonymity in order to discuss a confidential personnel matter."
Response from public records request that reads: "Record request #22-1728 has been closed. The closure reason supplied was: View Request 22-1728"
Map of Flock cameras in El Cerrito, California. From police presentation for May 5, 2026, city council meeting. https://elcerritoca.portal.civicclerk.com/event/921/files/attachment/6667
From the proposed resolution for the April 20, 2026, meeting: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Pablo hereby approves the transfer of credit card convenience fees to consumers for all credit card transactions for City services, whether made on-site or remotely, effective April 20, 2026; and
O.4.a Potential Moratorium on Data Centers DIRECT the city manager and city attorney to work with Planning staff to develop and bring forward a proposed moratorium on data centers – City Manager’s Office/Community Development Department/City Attorney’s Office (Shasa Curl 510-620-6512/Lina Velasco 510-620-6841/Shannon Moore 510-620-6509).
A. Flock Safety Agreement Renewal Action Proposed: Authorize the City Manager to renew an agreement with Flock Safety for the provision of license plate reading cameras to the City for a period of three years at a cost not to exceed $315,000. Contact: Paul Keith, Chief of Police, Police Department
Chart from 2025 report on Mobile Extraction Forensic Device to the Oakland Privacy Advisory Commission on April 2, 2026, showing the Extractions by Investigation Type and Race of Device Owner. Oakland Police use Cellebrite to break into locked phones and extract data.
Agenda item for April 14, 2026 meeting of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. Approval of, and Authorization to Purchase, Eight (8) 40mm Tactical Single Shot Launchers, Thirteen (13) Drones and Related Equipment, and One (1) Pepperball VKS PRO Launcher with Related Equipment, which are Designated by Ventura County Ordinance No. 4603 as Military Equipment.
Screenshot of text from the news article: Waterford Township's Underwood said his officers have an internal policy that governs when they can share LPR data, but said the policy is not available to the public. The News has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for the policy.
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to renew services with Peregrine Technologies, Inc., a proven technology provider for the Fremont Police Department. The Police Department seeks to enter into a new three-year agreement with Peregrine Technologies, Inc. for software for the Police Department’s real time data visualization platform of numerous integrated data sources. The platform provides a single point of access to view and analyze large-scale and real time data from various sources to enhance situational awareness and officer safety. Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager, or designee, to enter into an agreement with Peregrine Technologies, Inc., for a three-year term in the amount of $453,000 payable in three annual payments with the option to extend for up to two additional one-year terms for a total amount of $762,600. BACKGROUND: In 2020, Fremont Police Department staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP #21-008) inviting proposals from technology providers to provide, implement and support a data visualization platform for real time operations for the Police Department. Peregrine Technologies, Inc. was selected to provide a platform for efficient, effective, and smart policing. The software integrates many data sources which provides timely information to responding officers, improving situational awareness and safety. Since its implementation in 2021, this platform has been integral to Police Department intelligence-led policing model by supporting real-time operations, investigations, and all data analysis needs.
Text of Stockton City Council Agenda item for its meeting on March 31, 2026: 12.17 26-0269 APPROVE MOTION TO ADOPT STANDARD AGREEMENT AMENDMENT NO. 4 BETWEEN FLOCK GROUP INC. AND THE CITY OF STOCKTON IN AN AMOUNT OF $3,150,000 FOR THE ADDITION OF FLOCK DRONE AS FIRST RESPONDER SYSTEM RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that City Council approve a motion to: 1. Approve findings pursuant to Stockton Municipal Code section 3.68.070 in support of an exception to the competitive bidding process; and 2. Authorize the City Manager to approve Standard Agreement Amendment No. 4 between Flock Group Inc. (Flock) and the City of Stockton (City), in the amount of $3,150,000 for the addition of the Flock Drone as First Responder (DFR) platform services, and extend the contract term through April 14, 2031. It is further recommended that the City Manager, or designee, be authorized to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion.
Dope Security advertising on a Tesla CyberTruck
Image of California poppies and a purple flowering plant in Antelope Valley, California.
Photograph of my copy of the book "Your Data Will be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance" by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson.
Cover of Your Data Will be Used Against You by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson
February 24, 2026 Board of Supervisors Kern County Administrative Center 1115 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield, CA 93301 AUTHORIZATION FOR THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO SELL DUTY WEAPON VALUED AT LESS THAN $500 (Fiscal Impact: $305 Revenue; Not Budgeted; Discretionary) The Sheriff's Office is requesting your Board's authorization to sell retiring Detentions Sergeant Melissa Salgado her duty weapon upon retirement. Detentions Sergeant Melissa Salgado's duty weapon is a Glock model 47; serial number CFBA714, valued at $305. Detentions Sergeant Melissa Salgado will have an effective retirement date of March 21, 2026.
NY Times headline: Should Drug Companies Be Advertising to Consumers?
Portion of invoice with the costs of Cellebrite (as part of a quotation) for the Tracy Police Department.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Tracy Police Department is requesting approval to enter into a three-year agreement with Cellebrite Inc., a sole source provider of digital forensic extraction products. Cellebrite technology is critical to modern law enforcement investigations, providing the ability to lawfully access, extract, and analyze data from locked and encrypted mobile devices. The requested approval allows the Police Department to maintain access to these essential forensic tools, which are extensively utilized in criminal investigations. BACKGROUND AND LEGISLATIVE HISTORY Cellebrite Inc. is a globally recognized provider of digital forensic solutions, serving customers that include our Federal, State, and local partners including the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Sacramento Valley High Tech Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC), intelligence organizations, military entities, and law enforcement agencies worldwide. The Tracy Police Department currently relies on Cellebrite’s licensed forensic products to conduct lawful digital evidence extractions in support of criminal investigations. ANALYSIS Cellebrite products provide unique capabilities that are not available from other forensic vendors. These capabilities include advanced unlocking methods such as After First Unlock (AFU) and brute-force techniques, as well as full file-system and/or physical extractions from a wide range of mobile devices. Supported platforms include most leading Android manufacturers—such as Samsung, Xiaomi, LG, Huawei, Motorola, Sony, and Google—as well as Apple iOS devices, including the latest iPhones and iOS versions.
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate City Council and community awareness of a proposed innovation partnership project with DoorDash to test and operate an automated delivery service with small robotic vehicles using bike lanes, sidewalks and local streets in the Downtown/Central, Centerville, and Irvington areas of Fremont. BACKGROUND: Automated delivery platforms using robots have grown in popularity over the past few years with services launched in the areas of Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami. Systems initially involved robots traveling slow speeds on sidewalks (5 mph or less) and are now evolving to include bike lanes with speeds up to 20 mph. Sponsors of these systems include Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash. DoorDash is a Bay Area based company and has an in-house robotics and automation division. Its new generation of DoorDash robots named “Dot” is now being manufactured in Fremont and the “Dot” robots were launched for service in Arizona last year. DoorDash has also tested this service in other bay area cities, including San Ramon and Concord and is interested in starting up a service in Fremont. Fremont has a strong history of partnering with local companies to demonstrate ‘home grown’ technology in the City. A video of the DoorDash “Dot” robot is provided in the WEBLINK section of this report. The DoorDash “Dot” robots have similar technology systems used by autonomous vehicles with multi-modal sensors, including lidar, radar, and cameras to support safe navigation around pedestrians, cyclists, and other users of the public right-of-way. Operations are supported by continuous remote monitoring with trained operators able to intervene and assume control when needed.
FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH DEVELOPMENT GROUP, INC. FOR VERKADA CITY CAMERAS INCLUDING HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE SERVICES Recommended Action: It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution approving a five-year agreement with Development Group Inc. to purchase Verkada city cameras, hardware and cloud based operating system software from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2031 and authorizing the City Manager to execute a purchasing agreement with the Development Group Inc. not to exceed $184,896.30 over the five-year period
A. Approve a second amendment (Procurement Contract No. 25630) between the County of Alameda and Flock Safety (Principal: Tory Kornblum; Location: Atlanta, Georgia), for Flock Safety to provide the Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) system and related software services, extending the contract period of 7/1/23 – 6/30/25 to a retroactive period ending on 6/30/26 (a one-year extension) and increasing the contract amount from $550,600 to $854,200 (an increase of $303,600); and B. Adopt a resolution waiving the competitive procurement process for this second amendment.
Image of Lemur 2 drone
SHERIFF'S OFFICE 27. Approval of, and Authorization for, the Acquisition of Two DJI Matrice 4E UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Platforms and Batteries for Ventura County Sheriff’s Emergency Services; Approval of the Use of Approximately $14,466 from the Sheriff’s Existing Budgeted Funds for Fiscal Year 2025-26, for the Purchase of Items Designated by Ventura County Ordinance No. 4603 as Military Equipment; Approval of, and Authorization for the Purchasing Agent to Sign, the Vendor Quotes Pertaining to These Items; and Approval of, and Authorization for the Purchasing Agent to Sign, any Additional Agreements Required to Purchase These Items. CEO SUPPORTS RECOMMENDATIONS
Image of All Traffic Solutions LPR Camera-Ready Trailer with text description: Power your ATS 5 radar speed and message trailer with Automated License Plate Recognition intelligence. This ATS 5 speed trailer with camera can come with an ALPR camera already built in or ALPR-ready so you can easily attach a camera of your choice to the back of the trailer. Capture the license plates of passing vehicles, adding another layer of versatility and enforcement to this multipurpose trailer.
The Office of the Sheriff has been utilizing Starchase since 2018. The Department currently has eight vehicles outfitted with the Starchase launcher systems in its fleet. This contract will include the annual subscription renewal for the Guardian VX Total Solution Package for the current systems. This contract will also include the purchase of more new Guardian VX Launcher Systems, which includes installation, a three-year warranty and a Total Solutions software subscription.
On November 14, 2025, the EPC (Executive Policy Committee of the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force) approved the use of trust funds in an amount of $550,000 for the purchase of a replacement armored rescue vehicle with updated communication system and safety equipment to provide the reliability and protection needed.
C.125. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Sheriff-Coroner, or designee, to execute a contract with Trakka USA LLC, in an amount not to exceed $417,731 for a multi-sensor surveillance system for the helicopter STARR1, used by the Sheriff's Air Support Unit, for the period December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2027. (75% Federal, 25% General Fund)
Background: In 2018, the BCA bought an Nyxcell CBRSYS6008- EES1 Multi-Channel baseband unit supporting commercial cellular base station implementation consisting of the 8-Channel Portable Base Station Unit, 7-Band Transportable Amplifier Unit with eight channel portable Base Stations (cellular). In 2019,the BCA bought the Nyxcell Vehicular Geolocation System to be used in conjunction with the Multi- Channel baseband unit supporting commercial cellular base station implementation consisting of the 8-Channel Portable Base Station Unit. In 2020, the BCA purchased an Nyxcell 3 Channel Wi-Fi System to upgrade the system again and address needs based on changes/advances in technology. In 2021 the BCA purchased the Nyxcell 5G enabler solution. Current Purchase: This purchase addresses limitations with the current equipment caused by changes in cellular technology (specifically 5G phones). This add-on of the Nyxcell u100 5g native identifier unit will address these technology changes where new target devices will no longer be able to communicate with our equipment due to native 5G processes. This unit allows the current BCA equipment to keep functioning with the new technologies being introduced by Cellular providers.
06. Sheriff - Division Commander - Preparing for Major Football Events (World Cup 2026) - Edinburgh, Scotland, 11/30/25 - 12/8/25 ($4,484) Attachment 106 107. Sheriff - Sergeant - Preparing for Major Football Events (World Cup 2026) - Edinburgh, Scotland, 11/30/25 - 12/8/25 ($3,050) Attachment 107 108. Sheriff - Two Deputy Sheriffs - Preparing for Major Football Events (World Cup 2026) - Edinburgh, Scotland, 11/30/25 - 12/8/25 ($3,050 each) Attachment 108
Image of a sidewalk on which a leaf has left an impression
REQUEST TO APPROVE SOLE SOURCE PROCUREMENT WITH AXON ENTERPRISE, INC. AND FIVE-YEAR STANDARDIZATION OF BODY WORN CAMERAS (Fiscal Impact: $189,688 [FY 25-26: $37,536]; Fire Fund; Budgeted; Discretionary) The Fire Department is requesting Board approval for the sole source procurement of eight (8) Axon Enterprise, Inc. Body Worn Cameras (BWCs) with supporting equipment and software in an amount not to exceed $189,688 over a five-year term beginning January 1, 2026.
November 18, 2025 Board of Supervisors Kern County Administrative Center 1115 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield, CA 93301 AUTHORIZATION FOR THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO SELL DUTY WEAPON AND OPTIC EACH VALUED AT LESS THAN $500 (Fiscal Impact: $510 Revenue; Not Budgeted; Discretionary) The Sheriff's Office is requesting your Board's authorization to sell retiring Commander Michael DeLeon his duty weapon and optic upon retirement. Commander Michael DeLeon's duty weapon is a Glock model G47 MOS 9mm; serial number CFAY741, valued at $305. The optic is an Aimpoint ACRO P2; serial number W5824991, valued at $205. Commander Michael DeLeon will commence terminal vacation on December 13, 2025, with an effective retirement date of March 20, 2026
Sheriff-Coroner - Accept donation of four Rivian vehicles (valued at $126,504) from Rivian, LLC; and authorize Sheriff-Coroner or designee to execute donation agreement - All Districts