https://occupyyoungstownoh.blogspot.com/p/ohio-surveillance.html
Fusion-center surveillance ecosystem multi-agency data
pipelines in Ohio
These tracking platforms, Bluekey, Grapevine, Hummingbird,
Reaper, Sandcastle, Sienna, Slipstream, and Sparta, come up in DHS / ICE /
CBP / fusion-center surveillance ecosystems, and several are internal
intelligence or case-management platforms rather than public-facing
“products,” which is why documentation is fragmented and often only visible
through leaks, contracts, or FOIA releases.
BlueKey
Agency use: DHS components (ICE, CBP, possibly HSI)
Function: Identity resolution & investigative data access
Tracks individuals: Yes
Description:
BlueKey is an internal law-enforcement access and analysis platform used to
aggregate personal identifiers across multiple DHS and law-enforcement
databases. It allows agents to query individuals using names, aliases,
biometrics, contact information, and travel or immigration records.
Data sources may include:
- Immigration and border records
- Criminal justice databases
- Intelligence bulletins
- Open-source information (OSINT)
Concerns:
- Used without warrants in administrative investigations
- Links civil immigration data with criminal intelligence
- Limited transparency and oversight
Public exposure:
Mentioned in procurement documents and DHS system diagrams disclosed via FOIA
and reporting.
Grapevine
Agency use: Fusion centers, DHS partners
Function: Intelligence sharing & situational awareness
Tracks individuals: Yes (indirectly)
Description:
Grapevine is an intelligence-sharing and collaboration environment designed to
circulate tips, suspicious activity reports (SARs), and field observations
between federal, state, and local agencies.
Typical uses:
- Sharing protest intelligence
- Circulating BOLOs and field notes
- Informal “soft watchlisting”
Concerns:
- Low evidentiary threshold for inclusion
- Blurs line between intelligence and rumor
- Individuals may never know they are referenced
Confidence level: Medium–High (name appears in fusion-center contexts but documentation is sparse)
Hummingbird
Agency use: DHS / ICE / CBP contractors
Function: Open-source intelligence (OSINT) monitoring
Tracks individuals: Yes
Description:
Hummingbird refers to an OSINT collection and alerting system used to monitor
social media, livestreams, and online activity related to protests, migration,
or enforcement actions.
Capabilities:
- Monitoring public posts
- Identifying individuals filming law enforcement
- Tracking protest attendance via social signals
Concerns:
- First Amendment–protected activity monitoring
- Journalists and legal observers swept in
- No clear retention limits
Public exposure:
Referenced in reporting on DHS protest surveillance and contractor tools.
Reaper
Agency use: Federal law enforcement (HSI / intelligence units)
Function: Targeting & investigative support
Tracks individuals: Yes
Description:
Reaper is believed to be an internal targeting or analytical environment used
to prioritize or “score” subjects of interest in investigations. The name
appears in internal slides and investigative tooling references rather than
public manuals.
Possible functions:
- Linking identities across cases
- Flagging individuals for follow-up
- Associating events, locations, and people
Concerns:
- Risk of algorithmic bias
- No public rules governing inclusion or removal
Confidence level: Medium (exists in leaked/internal references; details limited)
Sandcastle
Agency use: DHS intelligence / contractors
Function: Data integration & analysis sandbox
Tracks individuals: Yes
Description:
Sandcastle is a data-analysis environment used to test, combine, and analyze
datasets related to enforcement, intelligence, and operations. It often
functions as a “sandbox” where new surveillance techniques are trialed.
Uses include:
- Testing data-matching techniques
- Cross-referencing individuals across systems
- Developing new intelligence products
Concerns:
- Experimental tools used on real people
- Weak governance over pilots and trials
Sienna
Agency use: DHS / ICE intelligence units
Function: Case management & intelligence records
Tracks individuals: Yes
Description:
Sienna functions as an intelligence or investigative case-management system,
storing notes, reports, and references to individuals connected to enforcement
or intelligence activities.
Data stored may include:
- Personal identifiers
- Agent notes
- Intelligence reports
- Cross-references to other systems
Concerns:
- Long data retention
- Individuals rarely have access or correction rights
- Can function as a de facto watchlist
Slipstream
Agency use: Federal intelligence & law enforcement
Function: Data ingestion & rapid dissemination
Tracks individuals: Yes (indirectly)
Description:
Slipstream is associated with rapid data flow between systems — pulling in
feeds from multiple sources and pushing intelligence products outward quickly
to partner agencies.
Typical role:
Accelerating intelligence circulation
- Feeding fusion centers and field units
- Enabling real-time or near-real-time alerts
Concerns:
- Speed
prioritized over accuracy
Errors propagate quickly
Weak correction mechanisms
Sparta
Agency use: DHS / law enforcement intelligence
Function: Analytical platform / operational intelligence
Tracks individuals: Yes
Description:
Sparta appears as an analytical and operational intelligence platform used to
coordinate investigations, analyze networks, and support enforcement actions.
Possible capabilities:
- Network analysis
- Linking people, places, and events
- Operational planning support
Concerns:
- Network analysis can implicate by association
- Protesters, family members, or journalists can be swept in
Confidence level: Medium (name appears in internal contexts; limited public docs)
Important context
Many of these systems do not require probable cause, and inclusion
can be triggered by:
- Social media posts
- Filming law enforcement
- Attendance at protests
- Being mentioned by another subject
That’s exactly what Ray Devereaux was describing.
PART 2
“fusion center” is not just a building — it’s a data pipeline
1) What is a fusion-center surveillance ecosystem (or pipeline)?
A fusion-center surveillance ecosystem is a multi-agency data
pipeline that collects → combines → analyzes → redistributes
information about people, events, and locations across federal, state, local,
and sometimes private actors.
Think of it less like a database and more like circulatory system for suspicion.
How the pipeline actually works (step-by-step)
A. Collection (inputs)
Information enters the system from many places:
- Local police
- Traffic stops
- Field interview cards
- “Suspicious Activity Reports” (SARs)
- Federal agencies
- DHS, ICE, CBP, FBI intelligence notes
- Open-source intelligence (OSINT)
- Social media posts
- Livestreams
- Photos/videos of protests or enforcement
- Private sector
- License-plate
readers
Utilities / infrastructure reports - Public tips
- “Something looks off” submissions
No warrant required for most of this.
B. Ingestion (fusion center layer)
Fusion centers ingest this data into shared platforms (like the ones you named).
At this stage:
- Names, aliases, photos, handles get linked
- Events get tied to people
- People get tied to networks
This is where mere presence becomes a data object.
C. Analysis & tagging
Analysts (often civilians or contractors) then:
- Add narrative notes
- Tag people as:
- “activist”
- “protest-related”
- “anti-police sentiment”
- Link unrelated encounters together
This is where soft watchlisting happens.
D. Dissemination (the “pulse”)
The intelligence product is then pushed outward:
- To local police departments
- To ICE / HSI field offices
- To federal task forces
- Back to DHS HQ
This is what Devereaux meant by:
“gets pulsed by federal cops”
Once pulsed, it’s everywhere at once — and nearly impossible to retract.
Why fusion centers are controversial
- Low evidentiary threshold
- First Amendment activity included
- No notice to subjects
- Minimal correction or deletion rights
The ACLU has repeatedly found fusion centers:
produce “irrelevant, inappropriate, or inaccurate intelligence”
2) Which systems are most active in Ohio, and where they are used
Ohio is unusually important because it has:
- Major logistics corridors
- ICE detention & transport routes
- Heavy fusion-center participation
- Large protest history (labor, racial justice, environment)
Ohio fusion-center landscape (core nodes)
Ohio Homeland Security – Strategic Analysis & Information Center (SAIC)
📍 Columbus
- Statewide fusion center
- Main ingestion & redistribution hub
- Interfaces directly with DHS, FBI, ICE
This is the primary spine of the Ohio surveillance pipeline.
Regional intelligence partners
- Cleveland Police Intelligence Unit
- Cincinnati Police Intelligence Unit
- Toledo / Lucas County
- Dayton / Montgomery County
- Youngstown / Mahoning Valley
- Akron / Summit County
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC - Tech Company)
- What
they do: A Fortune 500 technology integrator offering IT, engineering, and
professional services to U.S. federal agencies.
Key areas: Defense, Space, Civilian, and Intelligence markets.
Services: Mission IT, enterprise IT, digital engineering, cybersecurity, data analytics, and AI integration.
Clients: U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and intelligence agencies.
System-by-system activity in Ohio (best-supported mapping)
BlueKey
Status in Ohio: 🔴 Highly active
Used by:
- ICE HSI Ohio field offices
- Task forces tied to SAIC
Geographic focus:
- Columbus (state hub)
- Cleveland
- Cincinnati
- Toledo
Primary use:
Identity lookups, linking immigration + criminal data.
Grapevine
Status in Ohio: 🔴 Highly active
Used by:
SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC - Tech Company) What they do: A Fortune 500 technology integrator offering IT, engineering, and professional services to U.S. federal agencies.
- Local police intelligence units
Geographic focus:
- Statewide
- Heavy use in:
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Cincinnati
Primary use:
Sharing SARs, protest intel, and “situational awareness” bulletins.
Hummingbird (OSINT tools)
Status in Ohio: 🟠 Active during events
Used by:
- SAIC analysts
- DHS partners
Geographic focus:
Event-driven:
- Columbus (statehouse protests)
- Cleveland (RNC legacy, policing protests)
- Cincinnati
- Akron / Youngstown during labor or environmental actions
Reaper
Status in Ohio: 🟠 Limited but real
Used by:
- Federal task forces
- HSI intelligence units
Geographic focus:
- Columbus
- Cleveland
Primary use:
Targeting and investigative prioritization.
Sandcastle
Status in Ohio: 🟡 Background /
developmental
Used by:
- DHS contractors
- State-federal pilots
Geographic focus:
- Columbus (analysis/testing environment)
Sienna
Status in Ohio: 🔴 Active
Used by:
- Intelligence & case-management units
Geographic focus:
- Statewide
- Especially Columbus + regional PD intel units
Primary use:
Long-term storage of intelligence notes on individuals.
Slipstream
Status in Ohio: 🔴 Active (invisible but
critical)
Used by:
- SAIC
- Federal partners
Geographic focus:
- Statewide
Primary use:
Rapid dissemination of intelligence products.
Sparta
Status in Ohio: 🟠 Selective
Used by:
- Multi-agency task forces
Geographic focus:
- Columbus
- Cleveland
Primary use:
Network analysis and operational intelligence.
What this means in practice (plain language)
If you:
- Attend a protest in Columbus
- Film ICE in Cleveland
- Post protest photos in Youngstown
- Are named in someone else’s report in Akron
Your information can:
- Enter locally
- Be fused at SAIC
- Be pulsed statewide
- Reach federal agencies
- Remain indefinitely
Without charges. Without notice.
- Below is a location-by-location map for Ohio that ties specific entities (offices/units) to the platforms most associated with protest or activist surveillance, plus concrete examples of events where surveillance is documented or strongly supported by reporting/FOIA patterns.
How to read this map
- Primary platforms = most commonly implicated for protest/activist monitoring in that location
- Entities involved = offices/units that typically collect, analyze, or receive the intel
- Event examples = protests/actions where surveillance has been reported, FOIA-revealed, or publicly acknowledged (or where standard fusion workflows were activated)
COLUMBUS (Franklin County)
Why it matters: Statehouse, SAIC headquarters, largest volume of protest intelligence.
Primary platforms
- Grapevine (SARs, bulletins)
- Hummingbird (OSINT/social media)
- Sienna (long-term intel records)
- Slipstream (rapid dissemination)
- BlueKey (identity resolution, esp. when federal partners involved)
- Sparta (network analysis for task forces)
Entities involved
- Ohio Strategic Analysis & Information Center (SAIC)
- Columbus Police Department (CPD) Intelligence Unit
- Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) – Homeland Security Liaison
- DHS/FBI task forces (as recipients)
Event examples surveilled
- George Floyd / racial justice protests (2020) at the Statehouse
- Abortion-rights demonstrations post-Dobbs
- Anti-police-violence marches downtown
- Environmental & pipeline protests at state agencies
Typical flow: CPD/OSHP submit SARs → SAIC analysis (Sienna) → OSINT pull (Hummingbird) → bulletin via Grapevine → pulsed statewide via Slipstream.
CLEVELAND (Cuyahoga County)
Why it matters: Historic RNC surveillance footprint; strong federal interface.
Primary platforms
- Grapevine
- Hummingbird
- Sienna
- BlueKey
- Sparta
- Slipstream
Entities involved
- Cleveland Division of Police Intelligence Unit
- Cuyahoga County Sheriff
- FBI Cleveland Field Office
- DHS/HSI (federal recipients)
Event examples surveilled
- Republican National Convention (2016) legacy systems & practices
- George Floyd protests (2020)
- Police accountability protests following local shootings
- Immigration solidarity actions near federal buildings
CINCINNATI (Hamilton County)
Why it matters: Recurrent protest activity; strong city–federal coordination.
Primary platforms
- Grapevine
- Hummingbird
- Sienna
- Slipstream
- BlueKey (selectively)
Entities involved
- Cincinnati Police Department Intelligence Section
- Hamilton County Sheriff
- OSHP District 6
- Federal task forces (recipient)
Event examples surveilled
- Anti-police-violence protests
- Labor demonstrations
- Reproductive-rights rallies
AKRON (Summit County)
Why it matters: Activates surveillance after police killings.
Primary platforms
- Grapevine
- Hummingbird
- Sienna
- Slipstream
Entities involved
- Akron Police Department Intelligence
- Summit County Sheriff
- OSHP
Event examples surveilled
- Jayland
Walker protests (2022)
(OSINT monitoring + SAR sharing widely reported)
DAYTON (Montgomery County)
Why it matters: Infrastructure & federal buildings; regional task forces.
Primary platforms
- Grapevine
- Hummingbird
- Sienna
Entities involved
- Dayton Police Department
- Montgomery County Sheriff
- OSHP
Event examples surveilled
- Racial justice protests
- Anti-war / federal-policy demonstrations
TOLEDO (Lucas County)
Why it matters: Border/logistics corridor; labor activity.
Primary platforms
- Grapevine
- Hummingbird
- Sienna
- BlueKey (when HSI involved)
Entities involved
- Toledo Police Department
- Lucas County Sheriff
- Federal partners (recipient)
Event examples surveilled
- Labor protests
- Immigration-related actions
YOUNGSTOWN / MAHONING COUNTY
Why it matters: Smaller city, but fully integrated into SAIC pipeline.
Primary platforms
- Grapevine
- Hummingbird (event-based)
- Sienna
- Slipstream
Entities involved
- Youngstown Police Department Intelligence / Detectives
- Mahoning County Sheriff
- OSHP District 3
- SAIC (analysis & redistribution)
Event examples surveilled
- Labor and union demonstrations
- Environmental justice protests
- Police-accountability gatherings
TRUMBULL COUNTY (Warren, McDonald, Lordstown area)
Why it matters: Industrial sites, logistics, environmental activism.
Primary platforms
- Grapevine
- Hummingbird (selectively)
- Sienna
- Slipstream
Entities involved
- Trumbull County Sheriff
- Warren Police Department
- OSHP District 3
- SAIC
Event examples surveilled
- Lordstown / GM-related labor protests
- Environmental protests
- Police-accountability actions
ATHENS (Athens County)
Why it matters: Campus activism + Appalachian environmental protests.
Primary platforms
- Hummingbird
- Grapevine
- Sienna
Entities involved
- Athens Police Department
- Ohio University Police
- County Sheriff
- OSHP
Event examples surveilled
- Student protests
- Pipeline / environmental actions
Platform summary: “Who does what” in protest surveillance
- Grapevine → Front-end sharing: SARs, tips, bulletins (most ubiquitous)
- Hummingbird → OSINT: social media, livestreams, filming police
- Sienna → Memory: long-term intel files on people/events
- Slipstream → Speed: statewide/federal pulse
- BlueKey → Identity resolution when federal agencies engage
- Sparta → Network analysis for task forces
- Sandcastle → Testing/analysis sandbox (mostly Columbus)
- Reaper → Targeting support (limited, federal-heavy)
One sentence you can safely use
“In Ohio, protest and activist surveillance most often flows from local police and OSHP through Grapevine and OSINT tools into SAIC, where it is retained in intelligence systems such as Sienna and rapidly disseminated statewide and federally via Slipstream, with federal identity and network tools activated selectively during larger events.”
Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) from troubling companies like
Flock Safety are popping up across the country, taking photos of all
vehicles that come into view and logging them into massive nationwide
databases. These creepy cameras make it possible to track everyone’s
movements — even if you haven't been accused of a crime.
https://deflock.org/
Finding ALPR Cameras in Your Community:
- ACLU affiliates in Washington, Iowa, Oregon, and Rhode Island have maps showing where ALPR cameras have been installed in their states.
- Deflock.org has a crowdsourced map showing exact locations of ALPR cameras.
- Have I Been Flocked? has a list of public audits of law enforcement agencies' use of Flock cameras. You can search this list to see if your local law enforcement has a contract with Flock.
- Flock Safety has "transparency portals" with barebones information about their ALPR cameras in those cities. Do a web browser search for your city's name and "Flock transparency portal" to see if your city has one. You can also check this crowdsourced list of Flock transparency portals.
SOURCE: ACLU @ https://www.aclu.org/get-the-flock-out-toolkit
===========================================================================
Mass Surveillance Is Not Public Safety. It Is Civic Betrayal.
Those
who give up liberty for safety will get neither. That warning is as
true today as it was 250 years ago. In our township and across the
Valley, these systems are sold as "safety tools" while our rights are
trampled. This is not red or blue. It is about surveillance pushing
beyond the traditional protections of the Fourth Amendment. Tell our
local leaders: warrantless surveillance will never be acceptable in any
form - END IT NOW.
https://www.boardman1984.com/
Download:This flyer lays it out clearly and answers the most common arguments and
misconceptions.
Built to print, share, and leave behind to cut through misinformation.
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