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This weekend, we published an article about a NYPD spy ring. To summarize, the Associated Press had released a story stating that the NYPD has been spying on certain ethnic neighborhoods with the help of the CIA. Now, the NYPD is calling the report fictional. The NYPD claims that the report was blown out of proportion.

A spokesman for the NYPD, Paul Browne, told press this morning that “We’re going to do all we reasonably can to keep New York safe. We do so in partnership with the FBI and other federal agencies, and we uphold the Constitution in doing so.” The earlier AP news release stated that the FBI has nothing to do with the operation, and that the Federal Bureau was shocked by the news that the NYPD was, seemingly, breaking Constitutional laws.

Once news about the supposed spying broke out, civil liberty groups called for hearing and investigations into the matter. A spokesperson for one group said that such a program would be “a waste of precious resources…”

If the NYPD program does function the way that the Associated Press originally stated, this bit of news hits very close to Constitutional concerns surrounding GPS tracking. While nothing has surfaced stating that the NYPD used tracking devices, other law officials across the country have resorted to these tactics. At every turn, the Constitution must be revisited in order to apply citizen rights to modern times.

At present, the NYPD program in question is being closely monitored. Missed the original story? We don’t blame you, Hurricane Irene grabbed everyone’s attention this weekend! You can catch up on the NYPD story here.

Article Written by Harriette Halepis