Oliver Haslam on September 4, 2024, 5:17 pm

Police Are Now Using Teslas As Portable CCTV Cameras

You’re probably already very aware of the Sentry Mode feature of Teslas that uses the vehicle’s cameras as a security measure to capture its surroundings. But did you know that some police are already starting to use the feature as a mobile CCTV operation?

According to an SF Chronicle report, police in Oakland have gone so far as to tow Teslas that are parked near the scene of a crime in order to capture the content recorded by their cameras.

In Oakland and beyond, police called to crime scenes are increasingly looking for more than shell casings and fingerprints. They’re scanning for Teslas parked nearby, hoping their unique outward-facing cameras captured key evidence. And, the Chronicle has found, they’re even resorting to obtaining warrants to tow the cars to ensure they don’t lose the video.

It’s unclear just how often this kind of thing is happening, but the report details three instances in the last two months where vehicles have been towed for this reason.

However, it also reports that police would rather get the owner’s permission rather than go so far as to tow a vehicle but there is little doubt that isn’t always happening.

The upshot of the story? If you own a Tesla in Oakland there is no guarantee that it’ll be where you left it when you return to it.