Last Night Parade Organizers' Civil Rights Violated by SCPD Spying, Report Says

Results of the independent investigation into Santa Cruz police spying on New Year's Eve parade planners were made public March 21. Bob Aaronson, the independent police auditor, concluded in his report that SCPD officers may not have violated any local laws or policies by infiltrating the group, but the undercover operation more than likely violated the civil rights of parade organizers. The report also said that while the organizers contemplated an act of civil disobedience, the minor infraction of parading without a permit does not justify violating anyone’s civil rights. Aaronson surmised that SCPD administrators made a hasty and ill-advised decision to infiltrate the group, with little consideration for their first amendment rights. Reporter-at-Large, Vinny Lombardo, recently spoke to Aaronson by telephone.