She Got an Abortion -- So A Texas Cop Used 83,000 Cameras to Track Her Down

Monday, June 02, 2025

In a chilling sign of how far law enforcement surveillance has encroached on personal liberties, 404 Media recently revealed that a sheriff's office in Texas searched data from more than 83,000 automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras to track down a woman suspected of self-managing an abortion. The officer searched 6,809 different camera networks maintained by surveillance tech company Flock Safety, including states where abortion access is protected by law, such as Washington and Illinois. The search record listed the reason plainly: "had an abortion, search for female."

Posted by billy_boy at 10:30 AM | 34 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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A dystopian surveillance fear has become reality in Texas | Arwa Mahdawi

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-- The Guardian (@theguardian.com) May 31, 2025 at 9:16 AM

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It is illegal to gamble in Hawaii.
It is legal to gamble in Nevada.

Does Hawaii track down people who gambled in Nevada and charge them? No, it's ridiculous.

Just like this.

#1 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-06-02 08:29 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

#1:

#2 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-06-02 08:51 AM | Reply

Wow.
This is out of control. Way out of control.

#3 | Posted by YAV at 2025-06-02 08:57 AM | Reply

This is the slippery slope everyone was warned about. Regardless of your personal position on abortion, enforcing these laws is insane. Look at the road it takes you down....

This will turn into a war on ALPR but it's really about the absurdity of these abortion restrictions.

#4 | Posted by eberly at 2025-06-02 10:08 AM | Reply

This is how you translate Schutzstaffel into Hawaiian.

#5 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2025-06-02 10:58 AM | Reply

Now I remember again why I just don't really have much respect for law enforcement. Can't tell me he didn't have peers who recognized what an abuse of power this was.

#6 | Posted by danni at 2025-06-02 11:06 AM | Reply

The key context here is "self managed", whatever the ---- that means.

#7 | Posted by boaz at 2025-06-02 12:12 PM | Reply

#7 - There's no relevance in that at all. You think there is? Explain why and what it is.

#8 | Posted by YAV at 2025-06-02 12:46 PM | Reply

That's some police state, fascist s&*# there!

#9 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2025-06-02 01:21 PM | Reply

From the Guardian article;

Anti-abortion voices love to argue that they're not trying to control women, they're trying to protect women. Funnily enough this same talking point came up in this case. Sheriff Adam King of Johnson county, Texas, told 404 Media that the woman had self-administered the abortion "and her family was worried that she was going to bleed to death, and we were trying to find her to get her to a hospital." He added: "We weren't trying to block her from leaving the state or whatever to get an abortion. It was about her safety." (emphasis added)

#10 | Posted by et_al at 2025-06-02 01:30 PM | Reply

The key context here is "self managed", whatever the ---- that means.

#7 | POSTED BY BOAZ

It's not surprising at all that you do not understand how a women could possibly be capable managing her own body.

#11 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-06-02 01:37 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

The key context here is "self managed", whatever the ---- that means.

#7 | POSTED BY BOAZO

www.plancpills.org

#12 | Posted by billy_boy at 2025-06-02 01:54 PM | Reply

Why does her family think she was in any danger in the first place? The massive lies being propagated by the anti-abortion whacks? The massive lies perpetrated by politicians that need the support from those whackjobs? Misinformation? The deadly place Texas has put women in with its draconian laws?

#13 | Posted by YAV at 2025-06-02 02:26 PM | Reply

There's no relevance in that at all. You think there is? Explain why and what it is.

Are you really that ------- stupid? If it had no relevance, it would not be in the article. And if self management is against the law in her state, she needs to move to a state that lets her be impulsive and ---- without a condom and not have to bear the responsibility of that consequence.

#14 | Posted by boaz at 2025-06-02 02:26 PM | Reply

There's no relevance to her "self administered" abortion and the actions of this cop other than it being an excuse for an unbelievable invasion of privacy of an adult woman. Damn uppity woman! She should just move! Stop being impulsive and keep her legs crossed. Boaz the might moralizer has deemed it so! He knows all the facts behind this story! She clearly is the one at total and complete fault, no matter the circumstances!

I'd bet that POS Paxton is drawing up charges right now.

#15 | Posted by YAV at 2025-06-02 02:37 PM | Reply

This is the intersection of "states rights" and -------- where the GOP lives 24/7/365.

#16 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-06-02 02:45 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Is the name of the Texas Sheriff Javert? images.saymedia-content.com

#17 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-06-02 02:47 PM | Reply

How did MAGAs come to be such ------, hate filled people? The bitterness and rage aimed at complete strangers has become a rightwing form of mass psychosis.

#18 | Posted by moder8 at 2025-06-02 02:54 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

If the president of the United States can pay to get abortions for his mistresses, why can't the rest of us?

#19 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-06-02 03:20 PM | Reply

ALPR is a HUGE problem, and needs to be banned. I sincerely hope this sort of thing results in a war on ALPR.

The sick scum going after women are showing us why.

#20 | Posted by DarkVader at 2025-06-02 04:21 PM | Reply

Self-managed. Means she managed it herself.

Given how long you've been sucking government ---, I'm not surprised the concept of doing something yourself escapes you.

#21 | Posted by zarnon at 2025-06-03 04:28 AM | Reply

"and not have to bear the responsibility of that consequence"

Why should she have to bear any more consequence than the father.

That doesn't seem fundamentally wrong to you?

#22 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-06-03 04:47 AM | Reply

This is the slippery slope everyone was warned about.
#4 | Posted by eberly

Wow.
What phrasing.
You were the one we were warning.

#23 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-06-03 04:49 AM | Reply

Easy enough to run this kind of search to all women.

I wouldn't be surprised if they already are.

#24 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-06-03 04:50 AM | Reply

With all of the murders and shootings in Texas, this is what the cops are concerned about?

#25 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-06-03 05:31 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

"self managed", whatever the ---- that means."

It means freedom from government sticking its nose into things that should be private like conservatives like to pretemd they want.

#26 | Posted by danni at 2025-06-03 06:23 AM | Reply

How did MAGAs come to be such ------, hate filled people?

They don't have the ability to improve their lot in life and want to make everyone else as miserable as they are.

#27 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-06-03 07:22 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Get rid of parking tickets, I agree with that part.

#28 | Posted by THEBULL at 2025-06-03 08:28 AM | Reply

-You were the one we were warning.

there is no "we". You have never and will never be part of any kind of "we", And no, nobody was warning me of anything. You/they were just talking to yourselves.

#29 | Posted by eberly at 2025-06-03 08:32 AM | Reply

Posted by eberly

Posted by boaz

Pigs in a poke...

#30 | Posted by Angrydad at 2025-06-03 10:32 AM | Reply

Posted by Angrydad

has a sexual fetish for pigs....

#31 | Posted by eberly at 2025-06-03 10:57 AM | Reply

"And no, nobody was warning me of anything."

You really are Susan Collins.

#32 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-06-03 10:59 AM | Reply

How did MAGAs come to be such ------, hate filled people? The bitterness and rage aimed at complete strangers has become a rightwing form of mass psychosis.
#18 | Posted by moder8

^
Their mommy and daddy didn't love them enough.

#33 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-06-03 10:59 AM | Reply

With all of the murders and shootings in Texas, this is what the cops are concerned about?
#25 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS

^
This is easy to do. There's no risk to the cops. It's not like stopping an active shooter at Uvalde.

#34 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-06-03 11:00 AM | Reply