--- title: "Police Searching for Teslas Near Crimes to Seize Their Camera Footage" description: "Police officers are scanning for Teslas that may have recorded nearby crimes on their external cameras." date: "2024-09-03" modified: "2024-09-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/police-teslas-crimes-cameras" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "police" - "sentry mode" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Police Searching for Teslas Near Crimes to Seize Their Camera Footage ![Police officers are scanning for Teslas that may have recorded nearby crimes on their external cameras.]() *\Image: Tesla / Futurism\* ## Commandeering Cops Police officers are scanning for Teslas that may have ambiently recorded nearby crimes on their external cameras — and even going as far as to attempt to tow the vehicles away to inspect the footage. As the [*San Francisco Chronicle* reports](), a Canadian tourist almost had his Tesla confiscated by the Oakland Police Department because it may have witnessed a nearby homicide. The incident highlights a troubling new trend in mass surveillance, with the EVs' "Sentry Mode" serving as a public-facing extension of law enforcement — whether Tesla owners want to be involved or not. President of the Richmond Police Officers Association Ben Therriault told the *Chronicle* that officers usually attempt to ask for the owner's consent first, but sometimes resort to towing the vehicles anyway. "I respectfully request that a warrant is authorized to seize this vehicle from the La Quinta Inn parking lot so this vehicle’s surveillance footage may be searched via an additional search warrant at a secure location," officer Kevin Godchaux wrote in his search warrant affidavit, as quoted by the newspaper. ## In the Crosshairs Unsurprisingly, civil rights groups are calling foul. Electronic Frontier Foundation staff attorney Saira Hussain told the *Chronicle* that police using Teslas "as a resource" puts "third parties — people who are not involved at all — in the crosshairs of investigations." According to Tesla, [Sentry Mode is designed]() to act as an "intelligent vehicle security system that alerts you when it detects possible threats nearby" — and as it turns out, it's not just threats to the vehicle itself. Police have made ample use of the footage recorded by Tesla cameras in their investigations, according to the *Chronicle*'s reporting, from burglaries to homicides. And they're willing to go a long way to obtain the footage. For instance, one fatal shooting led to an Oakland police officer obtaining a search warrant to tow three vehicles, including a Tesla Model X, according to the paper. The trend raises some thorny ethical questions. Should drivers really be put into a position where their vehicles serve as witnesses to a crime? Are the EVs serving as a crutch for otherwise ineffective law enforcement? It's a troubling reminder of the pervasiveness of mass surveillance tech — and police are willing to take full advantage. **More on Tesla:** *[Huge Tesla Fan Says X Has Shadowbanned His Posts After He Complained About Defective Cybertruck]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()