When approaching a block party…

If you make eye contact with someone, wave, and assess whether they seem interested in engaging.
Try not to interrupt people if they are already in conversation with others or are otherwise occupied!

If interested, introduce yourself:

Hi, I’m [your name] and I am talking to my neighbors about an important topic today. Have you heard about how our city council is planning to expand mass surveillance in Berkeley?

Then, LISTEN more than you talk! People are often more receptive to new information if they feel heard in return. We are there to make connections and get to know our neighbors.

If they ask a question you don’t know the answer to, it’s okay to reply with:

That’s a good question, I’ll have to look more into that.

Hand them a flyer and let them know that they can learn more about the issue on our website.

Take notes after each conversation if you can! For example:

• Did they seem opposed, supportive, or ambivalent about mass surveillance?
• What was their reason for opposing, supporting, or feeling ambivalent?
• What questions did they ask?

You will likely get some of these responses and reactions:

“I’ve got nothing to hide.”

• It’s less about hiding and more about access – who gets to know intimate details about your life (where you go, who you talk to, what you buy, etc.), without cause or a warrant, and how could that access be abused in the wrong hands?
• Not everyone needs secrecy, but everyone has a right to privacy.

If they’re skeptical or want to debate:

Stay friendly, avoid engaging in-depth.

• I see where you are coming from, that’s why I am talking to neighbors so we can understand the different perspectives.

Then thank them and move on to the next person. A drawn-out argument uses up your limited time and energy, and may even discourage others nearby who might otherwise engage.

If they seem concerned about mass surveillance and want to learn more:

• We are hosting a “Freedom from Flock Fest” in a few weeks – come by to learn more.
• Direct them to find more information and resources on our website.
• To stay in the loop on upcoming actions, sign up on the “Get Updates” page.

Additional FAQs / Condensed Responses (full versions on the home page):

What’s wrong with giving our police department better tools?

• Vendors that lease mass surveillance technology to cities are driven by profit.
• Berkeley Police Department and City Council are outsourcing core public safety infrastructure to a third-party company whose incentives are not aligned with the values of our sanctuary city.

Doesn’t surveillance technology reduce crime?

• There is no solid data that crime rates are reduced with increased surveillance.
• Crime has been dropping nationally since the 1990s regardless of camera rollouts, and even heavily surveilled cities like Atlanta (~28,000 cameras) have NOT seen case-clearance rates improve.

What are automated license plate readers (ALPRS)?

• Different from a red light or toll camera, ALPR systems are mounted on poles/streetlights that photograph every license plate that passes, logging location, date, and time.
• Images from ALPR cameras are fed into a searchable, AI driven database that can be accessed by other police departments and federal agencies.

Isn’t this the same as my neighbor’s Ring camera?

• No – Ring requires police to ask each owner individually for access to their cameras, and owners can refuse. A citywide network removes that consent check entirely.
• Read more about Ring’s Law Enforcement Guidelines here.