Saturday, February 9, 2008

Homeland Security Surveillance Towers
A brief video clip from April 2004 showing the presence of a Homeland Security Surveillance Tower several miles outside Tucson, Arizona along SR86.

The surveillance tower was part of a so-called 'High Intensity Enforcement Area' that was in place for well over a year and was a precursor to the current suspicionless checkpoint operations being conducted further West.

Agents used surveillance gear in the tower to look into the cabs of oncoming vehicles. If you happened to be the wrong color or otherwise looked suspicious to the profiling agent, your vehicle would be marked for extra special attention from a Homeland Security agent waiting in a nearby patrol vehicle.

Katrina Tower Guards of the NWO monitor the Mardi Gras Correctional Facility

Roy Hodge is trying out a new point of view. He usually spends Mardi Gras on ground patrol, this year he'll be watching it from above. He's got a 91 thousand dollar view from one of Mobile PD's two new 'sky-watch' units.


Polce Chief Phillip Garrett says, "you simply can see more. You may be able to tell where incidents are occuring." He says, this perspective will give them a tactical edge to crowd control.

At 25 feet above a crowd these watch towers offer a point of view police don't usually get.

The change in altitude will be nice for Hodge, but his vantage point will be even nicer for his buddies on the ground. It gives them a heads up of what's to come.

He says, "it sometimes is intimidating, going into a crowd, especially if you don't know what's behind the people you are moving through." Hodge says that kind of information can be critical in dealing with tough situations.

Cameras can zoom in on the action or record it if necessary.
the platform's also equipped with sirens and a loud speaker if things get rough. Starting tonight they'll be up and watching.


So if you're downtown for the parades, you might wave to Hodge
after all, he's up there...making sure everything goes smoothly.
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