Sam Richards on how Minnesota's Operation Safety Net surveilled protestors and journalists during civil unrest
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A recent report that looked at the response to the unrest after George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police showed that Minneapolis officials were disorganized and did not follow their own emergency protocols when violence erupted during protests.
Prior to the trial of the former officer who killed Floyd, various state agencies held a news conference to announce Operation Safety Net. Officials said it was a temporary effort to keep people and property safe during the trail of former officer Chauvin, but a recent report from the MIT Technology Review said it went well beyond its stated goals and strategies.
Sam Richards is an independent investigative reporter who co-authored the article investigating Operation Safety Net for MIT Technology Review.
His piece with Tate Ryan-Mosley, The secret police: Cops built a shadowy surveillance machine in Minnesota after George Floyd’s murder, was published on March 3 and is the first in a series they plan to release looking into public safety and leadership in Minnesota.
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