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If you’re the proud owner of a Tesla TSLA-5.05%, you might think the biggest thing you have to worry about with your car is either the battery going flat, body panels falling off or, god forbid, water sparking a fire onboard. Now, it turns out there’s a new concern for America’s Tesla owners: cops towing their cars as evidence in crime scenes.
Tesla TSLA-5.05% owners in California have reportedly had their vehicles towed from crime scenes by police, reports CarScoops. Law enforcement have been towing vehicles from crime scenes that were placed in Sentry Mode, which sets the cars’ onboard cameras to turn on and capture everything that goes on outside the vehicle. As CarScoops explains:
While the EVs – and their owners – are usually unrelated to the incidents, video footage from the scene can be quite important for the case. The police usually asks for the owner’s permission to access their Tesla’s Sentry Mode backup USB drive which is located in the glove box, and download the desired content. However, if the owners can’t be located, officers obtain search warrants and tow the EVs into evidence.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Oakland police sought to tow at least three Teslas in July and August, showing that this is now part of their established tactics.
A recent example took place at a hotel parking lot near the Oakland airport on July 1. A man was found in an RV with stab and gunshot wounds that eventually led to his death at a nearby hospital. As part of the homicide case, the police located a Tesla which was parked opposite the RV. The owner of the Tesla was a Canadian tourist, who reportedly arrived at the scene during the towing process. The man permitted officers to download the footage without taking away the car, sparing him a visit to the police station.
In another instance, the Tesla towed was actually the crime scene itself after a man was found on the back seat with a gunshot wound. Police towed the car in order to access Sentry Mode footage of the shooting, however so far no arrests have been made in relation to the incident.
Sentry Mode is activated on Teslas when the car senses any noise or movement nearby. When that happens, cameras turn on and start recording everything going on around the cars. In order to access the footage captured by each car, police don’t have to gain permission from Tesla itself, instead requesting approval from owners or by obtaining a warrant.
A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik’s The Morning Shift.