cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/24704051
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that police in Oakland, California, and other places, have been obtaining warrants that allow them to tow Teslas that may have been parked within close proximity to local crimes. In many cases, police will get the driver’s permission before they access the data inside the vehicles. However, on rare occasions, when police feel the information needs to be gotten quickly, they will simply use a court-ordered warrant to tow the vehicle and empty it of its necessary evidence.
The Chronicle reports that the warrant-and-tow method has been used by Oakland police in at least three instances over the past two months. The cars’ external cameras, paired with its sophisticated network of sensors, can prove particularly helpful in solving cases. In one recent case in the city, a woman was shot and killed after a group of men pulled guns on one another and began shooting. Police took advantage of video recorded by a nearby Tesla to aid their investigation. Ultimately, two men were arrested several weeks later and charged with murder, the newspaper reports.
Listen. If they want to subpoena Tesla or the owner for the footage the way they would a store or other business, fine. But towing a car just to retrieve evidence without the knowledge and agreement of the owner is just theft and they should be sued.
No you don’t understand, this is the police, so they can do what they want and we can’t complain or we will be arrested or killed.
According to the article, they’re
It looks like the seizure and the search have to be warranted separately:
I read the article. Still theft with extra steps if the owner doesn’t know. I also really don’t understand why they can’t subpoena Tesla directly and leave a person’s property alone.
Tesla has better lawyers.
It looks like the recordings are stored locally, so Tesla wouldn’t be able to provide them anyway.
As shitty as it is to find your car gone, it is not theft. Theft has the intention of keeping the item, this is not true here. The owner can retrieve the vehicle later.