Topic: Urban Shield

The Urban Shield police equipment convention in Oakland has faced local opposition, with the mayor announcing the city will no longer host the event. During a Senate hearing, a DHS official claimed that grant-funded infrared cameras were essential in capturing the Boston Marathon bomber. However, Senator Tom Coburn corrected the record, noting that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was actually found by a local resident who noticed a loose tarp on his boat and called 911.

The National Geographic Channel premieres "American Blackout," a movie depicting a colossal cyber attack on the power grid. This coincides with "Urban Shield," a large-scale emergency response drill in the Bay Area that includes realistic simulations of school shootings.

Two major regional preparedness exercises are scheduled: "Urban Shield" in Alameda County and "Grid Ex II" nationwide. Grid Ex II will simulate a massive physical and cyber attack on the North American power grid, involving over 150 companies and government agencies from the US, Canada, and Mexico. The hosts view these drills as "slave training" and potential precursors to real-world incidents.

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office is considering the use of domestic drones for "proactive policing," including monitoring marijuana fields and search and rescue. These drones will be tested during "Urban Shield 2012," a large-scale preparedness exercise and vendor show for law enforcement. The event is sponsored by companies like 5.11 Tactical and features a wide array of military-grade surveillance and tactical equipment for local police.