NSA Gadget Transfer Program Turning Local Cops into Spies

With the media spotlight shining on police militarization, most Americans know something about the federal 1033 transfer program that enables police departments to get military equipment like armored vehicles, high power weapons, grenade launchers, and even bayonets. But most Americans don’t realize that local law enforcement agencies can also acquire spy gear from the feds. The NSA transfers electronic gadgets to a variety of agencies including local law enforcement, and it is as simple as catalog shopping. This is yet another example of the tangled web of cooperation between state and local law enforcement, and the feds – a phenomenon quickly devolving America into one massive interconnected surveillance state. These transfer programs have largely gone unnoticed. However, the most recent NSA tech catalog  was recently released and …