Things That Go Boom Taser Town
Oct 6, 2025
Barry Friedman, a law professor and founder of the Policing Project at NYU, dives into the controversial battle over a luxury apartment development driven by Axon, a major policing tech company. He discusses the implications of surveillance technology on local democracy, raising concerns about corporate influence in public safety. The conversation also covers ethical limits of policing tech, privacy issues, and the political maneuvers that sidestep community votes, questioning who truly governs our safety in an age of data.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Local Pushback Led By A Veteran
- Bob Littlefield, a 77-year-old Vietnam vet and former councilman, led a grassroots PAC to stop Axon's apartment plan.
- Volunteers gathered signatures citywide and fueled public outrage that put the project on the 2026 ballot.
Axon Evolved Into A Surveillance Powerhouse
- Axon transformed from a taser maker into a dominant policing-tech firm selling body cams, drones, and AI.
- Its market value and federal contracts ballooned as it expanded into surveillance and military markets.
Body Cams Without Rules Can Backfire
- Body cameras were promoted as transparency tools after Ferguson but lack consistent public-release rules.
- Without regulation, camera tech risks codifying secrecy and police self-protection rather than accountability.
