This next story is the first in a series of pieces titled Defuse APD, following the local effort to expose the anti-privacy and anti first amendment intelligence operations taking place at Austin Police Department and the Austin Regional Intelligence Center.

In today's installment, we recap the recent Austin Public Safety Commission meeting that took place Friday September 12, 2014.  On the agenda, the Austin Regional Intelligence Center and the recent scandal relating to emails obtained by the Austin Chronicle that show APD officials using ARIC to investigate peaceful activists.

The article titled "ARIC and Privacy" and authored by John Anderson, tells the story of a Move to Amend organizer, Michael Ryan, who was likely investigated and profiled by the Austin Regional Intelligence Center.  Move to Amend is the movement trying to do away with corporate donations to political candidates.  According to the article, Ryan was planning a rally at the US District Court House in Downtown Austin.  Having applied for a permit to hold the rally, the US Marshals Service was aware of the upcoming rally and wanted to "get more information on Michael Ryan".