Police Force Smartmeters on Private Property

(Thursday, 15 Dec 2011) Police and Electric Utility Force SmartMeters on Residences in Violation of Federal Law, U.S. and California Constitution
by Orlean Koehle and Deborah Tavares

On Monday morning, December 12, 2011 two separate Southern California Edison SmartMeter deployment teams, escorted by police, violated property rights on apartment buildings in Covina and San Gabrial by cutting through steel protective grid enclosures, yanking off the safe analog meters and installing nineteen wireless SmartMeters in their place.

The owners and builders of the apartment buildings, Lou and Deborah Tavares, believe what was done to their property was a violation of their rights and those of the tenants, done in spite of visible no trespassing signs that had been posted refusing the installation of SmartMeters.

Having done research on the Federal Energy Act and the U.S. and California Constitution, Deborah Tavares states, “The Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 does not mandate installation of SmartMeters, but uses the words to be installed upon ‘customer’s request.”

“Furthermore, the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that we are to be ‘secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects.’ The police and So. Calif. Edison had no search warrant to come onto and vandalize our private property that did not belong to them. The California Constitution, Article 1, states that we are ‘free and independent and have unalienable rights,’ among these are ‘enjoying and defending life and property, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy.’ What the police and Southern Calif. Edison did was a violation of this article.”

Despite widespread problems with SmartMeters nationwide, including: overbilling, interference with electronics, reports of fires, hacking, security issues, privacy violations, frequent reports of health impacts, such as heart arrhythmias, tachycardia, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, ringing, buzzing, and pain in the ears, sleep problems, increased blood pressure, seizures, headaches, pressure or pulsing sensations, and pacemaker defibrillation, the California Public Utilities Commission and the California State Legislature have refused to halt the Smart Meter program or call for a state investigation on these issues.

Deborah Tavares states, “Many people are asking why smart meters are continuing to be deployed by the utilities when they emit dangerous pulsed radiation that are making many people sick? The power companies know this. They have the facts, the science and clinical evidence. How could this possibly be a mistake or an oversight? Something is very wrong. Why are they continuing to deploy the smart meters?”

Smart Meters had been previously installed on the Tavares apartment complexes in the spring of 2010 without any notification to the owners. Tavares became concerned and spoke to SCE, PG&E and the CPUC asking for the studies to show that the meters were safe. They subsequently found out that all studies had been waived and only outdated FCC studies were given as justification for the safety of the meters, which excluded the hazardous affects of accumulative EMF/RF radiation from multiple meters within the smart grid mesh network. Consequently, the owners asked for the utilities to give them a statement on their letterhead that would “indemnify, hold harmless or defend them” against any consequences of injury to their tenants. The utilities refused.

After hearing from several of their tenants of the bad health effects that they were experiencing from the SmartMeters on their homes and after repeatedly asking the CPUC and SCE to remove the meters to no avail, the Tavares believed they have a responsibility to help their tenants and do the right thing. On November 11, 2011, they removed the SmartMeters themselves and re-installed the safe analog meters, which they had purchased at their own expense. They also enclosed the meters in steel framed enclosures to prevent any further tampering and vandalism of the meters. They then had the smart meters returned to the So. California Edison office.

However, SCE and city police then trespassed and vandalized the Tavares property and forced reinstallation of the SmartMeters back upon their apartment units.

The owners attempt to protect their own tenants against the harm of the SmartMeters has been thwarted. “We are now the victims, ourselves, of theft, trespassing, vandalism, and loss of ability to protect our tenants,” says Deborah Tavares.

A limited “delay of installation” list has been recently instituted by the CPUC and utilities in response to public outcry, but SCE has refused to accommodate those with Smart Meters already installed, even when they have submitted statements by their doctors about the serious health effects the customers are suffering from the SmartMeters. Many believe the installation delay list is just a way to distract and placate customers until the grid is more fully complete and Smart Meters will then be “forced” upon everyone that still has a safe analog meter…

More people across the nation, who are suffering from the ill effects of the SmartMeters on their homes, and have repeatedly contacted local and state officials for help without success, are also doing what the Tavares did, purchasing analog meters and hiring licensed electricians to install them.

PG&E customers have also begun removing Smart Meters and replacing with safe analog meters in Northern California. December 13, 2011, twelve customers returned their Smart Meters to a PG&E office in Capitola, only to be ordered to leave by police. PG&E has now begun disconnecting power to those families.”

“This is outrageous!” Deborah states. “We have had the authority of making safe decisions for ourselves, our families and our own residents taken away from us. What a way to treat faithful customers who are just standing up for their own safety and their own rights, to have their power shut down, especially in the middle of the winter and just before Christmas. Imposing dangeorus, radiating, surveillance devises against our will is unimaginable in what was once a free country.”

For further information about Smart Meters, contact
www.refusesmartmeters.com,
www.burbankaction.com,
www.emfsafetynetwork.org,

Deborah Tavares (707) 824-9850

Orlean Koehle, State President
Eagle Forum of California