On June 5, A PINAL County Board of Supervisors Meeting Was Asked To Approve A $ 500,000 Contract Between the County and Massive Blue in Order to License Overwatch.
“I was looking at the website for massive blue, and it's a one-pager with no additional information and no links,” Kevin Cavanaugh, the then-Supervisor for District 1, Said to Pinal Cound to Pinal County County ' At the sherif's office, matthew thomas. “They produce software that we buy, and it does what? Can you explain that to us?”
“I can't get into great detail because it's essentially trade secrets, and I don't want to tip our hand to the bad guys,” Thomas said. “But what I can tell you is that software is designed to help our investigators look for and find a case on human trafficking, drug trafficking, and gun trafficking.”
Cavanuck said at the board meeting that the basic information he got is that massive blue uses “50 ai bots.” He then asked Whether the software has been successful and if it helped law enforcement makes any arrests. Thomas explained they have not made any Arrests Yet because they only the proof of concept, but that the proof of concept was “good enoured for us and our invites to move forward Once this gets approved and we get them [Massive Blue] Under Contract, then We Are Going to Move Forward with Prosecution of Cases. “
CavanaUGH Asked If overwatch is used in other counters, which prompts thomas to invite clem to the podium to spend. Clem Introduced Himself as a retired border agent and said that massive blue is currently in negotiations with three countiies in arizona, include pinal courses.
“As a Resident of 14 years of Pinal County I Know What's Happening Here,” Clem said to the board of supervisors. “To be al [to] Use this program […] To provide all the necessary information to go after the online exploitation of children, trafficking victims, and all the other verticals that other verticals that the sherif may want to go after. “
CavanaUGH Again Asked If Massive Blue Gathered Any Data that LED to Arrests.
“We have not made Arrests Yet, but there is a current investment right Months. “Investigations take time, but we've been alive to generate the Necessary leaders for the particular countes that we're involved with and also in the private sector.”
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors Concluded The Exchange by Approving Payment for a Handful of Other, Unrelated Projects, but with Board Members Asking to Delay the Votte Ene Payment for Massive Bloe ” Further Study. “
The decision not to fund massive blue that day was covered in a local newspaperCavanaUGH Told the paper that he asked the company to meet with supervisors to explain the merits of the software.
“The state of arizona has provided a grant, but grant money is taxpayer money. No matter the source of the fund, fighting human and sex trafficking is too important to Risk Half a Millrs ON UNPORON Technology, “He said. “If the company demonstrates that it can deliver evidence to arrest human traffickers, it may be Wortwhile. However, it has yet to achieve this goal.”
