Texas Police Spent $4.5M on Four Chevy Tahoes
4 hours ago
- #privacy concerns
- #surveillance technology
- #government spending
- FalcoNet, an Israeli surveillance system by Cognyte, intercepts phone-cell tower connections to track individuals secretly, deployable via helicopter, backpack, or vehicle like Chevy Tahoes.
- Texas Department of Public Safety spent $4.5 million on four FalcoNet-equipped 2026 Chevy Tahoes, citing emergency needs without specifics, with costs including core systems, licenses, and specialized equipment.
- The technology raises privacy concerns by mass data collection; the Supreme Court ruled in Chatrie v United States that location tracking violates Fourth Amendment rights, while its legality remains questionable.
- FalcoNet features include a compact core module, hardware interfaces for LAN and RF, power needs from 24v to 36v, and modular deployment kits in Pelican cases, with potential stealth antenna setups.