Over the last few days, the ACLU has revealed a scenario familiar to anyone who lived through the Vietnam War: police spying on “peace activists and anti-death penalty groups,” and then labelling them as “people thought to be terrorists or drug traffickers.” The operations, which stretched over at least 288 hours of surveillance during 14 months, failed to produce “criminal or even potentially criminal acts, the legal standard for initiating such surveillance” (HT: The Sun). Three of the targeted groups were the Baltimore Pledge of Resistance, “formed for individuals willing to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience to protest an invasion of Iraq [link]“; the Baltimore Coalition Against the Death Penalty; and the Committee to Save Vernon Evans, a “gathering of Baltimore organizations and individuals working against the death penalty and in support of [death row inmate] Vernon Evans” [link].¹ In response, Maryland State Police superintendent Colonel Terrence Sheridan released a statement, claiming “No illegal actions by state police have ever been taken against any citizens or groups who have exercised their right to free speech and assembly in a lawful manner. … Only when information regarding criminal activity is alleged will police continue to investigate leads to ensure the public safety.”

Sheridan’s claim smells fishy. In fact, it stinks. Even assuming that the MSP had something resembling a good reason to investigate these groups, instead of reducing the nation’s highest per-capita murder rate, reports like “The meeting concluded with members talking about trying to get the man running for Baltimore County State’s Attorney to commit to his plans regarding the death penalty in the county” don’t warrant 14 months of “just being really sure.” A former FBI agent specializing in counter-terrorism said that the government has “actively encouraged” law enforcement to spy on groups and organizations, no pesky connection to terrorism necessary; information on these super-high-value targets was shared with the National Security Agency, the police departments of Baltimore, Baltimore County, Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, and the state General Services police.

Naturally, as soon as the story broke, everyone ran for cover. Less than a week after claiming his police had only investigated alleged criminal activity, Sheridan claimed that he’d learned of the operation only recently, saying that “It shouldn’t have gone on so long, and there’s no reason for it.” A recently-retired police captain whom Sheridan threw to the wolves named as involved in the operation was obligingly belligerent, arguing that “Collecting information about what you’re up against is a normal process”; when asked why the operation had continued for 14 months, he replied “I’m not in a position to respond to that.” Add this to the backdrop of questionable crime statistics, reports of police antagonizing victims and an ACLU/NAACP lawsuit alleging illegal arrests. Still, feel better, Baltimore–you have Col. Sheridan’s word that spying on law-abiding citizens “will not be occurring in the future.”

1. Tangent: Check out Meet Vernon, a blog run by Virginia Simmons “to allow you to meet Vernon Lee Evans, the next person to be executed on Maryland’s death row.” Evans was sentenced to death after his state-appointed attorney failed to call any witnesses, including the crime’s only eyewitness, claiming she “slipped through the cracks.” Read more details on the Meet Vernon about page.