Alexandra Schuler/picture alliance via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alexandra Schuler/picture alliance via Getty Images Journalist Jon Fasman says local police departments are increasingly using powerful surveillance tools — with little oversight. Alexandra Schuler/picture alliance via Getty Images Your local police department may know more about you than you think. Journalist Jon Fasman says local police are frequently able to access very powerful surveillance tools — including publicly accessible CCTV cameras, automatic license plate readers and cell phone tracking devices — with little oversight. Fasman embedded with a different police departments across the country to see how officers integrate technology into their day-to-day job. Newark, N.J., for instance, uses a program called Citizen Virtual Patrol, which allows at-home viewers to stream video from cameras placed around the city.