NAPERVILLE (CBS) – Two Naperville mothers were arrested Wednesday, after they tried to block utility workers from installing new “smart meters.”
CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov reports one of those women was released from custody late Wednesday afternoon, the other was still in custody, but should be released soon.
Their arrests were the culmination of a two-year battle against “smart meter” installation in Naperville.
At Jenn Stahl’s home in Naperville, officers were forced to cut open a lock on her back gate to allow crews to get in to access her meter, when she refused to open the gate herself.
“It’s new technology. It’s city property. The city’s allowed to upgrade their technology, upgrade their equipment, and that’s what the city’s doing,” an officer explained to Stahl.
The officer said Stahl’s proper recourse was to take her case to the courts, or to file a complaint with the city. He said the utility workers were just following directions to replace old meters with new “smart meters.”
“But it’s more than what I consent to do. And I’m fully aware of what the new functions of the meter do, and I don’t consent to that,” Stahl said.
“No matter where you move, no matter what jurisdiction you move into, you agree to all that stuff. If you’re in the city of Chicago, or the city of Elgin, or wherever you’re at – the city of Naperville – that’s city property,” the officer said. “The law allows it.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Stahl said before officers cut the lock on her gate and utility crews went in to install a new “smart meter.”
When Stahl stood in front of her old meter to block the crews, she was arrested for interfering with a police officer. After officers slapped the cuffs on her, she said, “This is supposed to be America, and people are supposed to have the right to protect their property.”
Several hundred Naperville residents oppose the wireless “smart meters,” citing concerns about possible health problems that might be caused by the meters’ wireless signal, which is always on. They have said studies show the RF signal could be dangerous, when combined with other RF frequencies already in existence.
They have been battling Naperville authorities over the issue since 2011.
At other homes, Naperville utility workers hopped fences onto private property to install the meters over homeowners’ objections.
Kim Bendis filmed utility workers at her home as she told them to leave, but they started replacing her meter anyway
“Get off my property right now,” she said. When a worker began cutting open a locking device over the meter, Bendis started shouting.
“No. No. Get off,” she said. “You are not allowed on my property. Get off my property right now.”
Hours later, she was arrested while shooting video of police officers outside Stahl’s house.
When officers told her to stop her audio recording of them, she refused, and she was arrested.
“We are trying to protect our property. We are trying to advocate for residents who are trying to say no to a product that is being debated all around the country,” Kim Bendis said before her arrest. “The only recourse we have is to document on film.”
Naperville City Manager Doug Krieger said the city is within its legal rights to install the “smart meters” on private property, replacing old meters which are also their property. Krieger also said the meters are safe.
Krieger said Stahl and Bendis deserved to be arrested if they violated the law, but it was not immediately clear what charges the women faced.
Opponents of the “smart meters” also have cited security concerns, because the meters are capable of tracking exactly when a customer is using electricity, and opponents fear it would allow strangers to know when they are home, or gone at work. Some fear hackers could access that information.
He said the city intends to finish installing the “smart meters” this month, and denied accusations from opponents of the new meters that the city is bullying them.
“We absolutely are not bullies. I believe we’ve bent over backwards to accommodate them,” Krieger said.
Krieger said homeowners who object to the “smart meters” have been given the option to receive non-wireless versions, but many said they still don’t trust the security of those devices.
There’s a pending federal lawsuit against Naperville about the meters, as well. Homeowners who are part of the suit said Naperville officials shouldn’t proceed with “smart meter” installations while the case is pending.
Krieger, however, said the meters are funded in part through an $11 million federal grant, that requires them to complete the installation. He said the lawsuit could drag on for years, “and we don’t have that much time.”
There is no federal mandate for smart meters – none. They are lying. If you really want to see the truth look at http://www.bioinitiativereport.com.
“Krieger, however, said the meters are funded in part through an $11 million federal grant, that requires them to complete the installation. He said the lawsuit could drag on for years, “and we don’t have that much time.””
And therein lies the excuse. A federal mandate. Why do you need a “federal” mandate to handle a city issue dealing with smart meters? Does that make any sense to anyone? So now the federal government is telling us what smart meters we need to have in the city? Are they that bored?
““No matter where you move, no matter what jurisdiction you move into, you agree to all that stuff. If you’re in the city of Chicago, or the city of Elgin, or wherever you’re at – the city of Naperville – that’s city property,” the officer said. “The law allows it.””
Really? Show us the papers. We didn’t sign or consent to anything.
“He said the utility workers were just following directions to replace old meters with new “smart meters.””
Awww….the old, “I was just doing what I am told” excuse. What a communist response. Sounds like the responses I got when I was working in China. No one took responsibility for their actions and everyone would always say their boss is not here when I asked for their supervisor. Anyways, this guy would probably plant a bomb at someone’s house and say the same thing, rather than question why he is doing it. That is their communist mentality.
The electric co. that I have installed something that they call “turtles” that sound like the equivalent of these smart meters. these turtles that they installed do not do anything that the electric co. said except monitor how much electricity you use – and we all didn`t have any say about these meters at all. They said they would shorten the response time in case of a electrical outage or things like that but it is all another big scam to monitor what people do.
Digger, if it has a digital readout, then it is a Smart Meter. One of the presentations I saw at ConspiraracyCon 2012 was about these Smart Meters. And as with many of the NWO’s covert methods of population reduction, Smart Meters are FAR more toxic to humans than they’re purported to be.
Oh yea #1, my electric co. that I have to use for that kind of electricity said they call them turtles around here. Good comparison I guess, eh smart meters, turtles. hehehe Yea them turtles are didgital read out on the meter. Complete with a direct hook up to the power co.s computers – so they told me anyway – not like they say anything new ya know #1
I got some weird mess here….My meter is the old style with a rotary-wheel….not digital….
Ok,…..Im here or my wife is here every day of the week…..I havent seen a meter-reader in 4 years….and that was when I bought the place and had the power turned on…the Lineman came,..installed the meter…put a lockout tab on it and left…..aint seen a power company person since….I read my useage on the dial and it matches within a few kilowatts of the bill statement that comes in the mail each month…..
How’s that happen?
Hahahaha oldvet. They had them meters like that since about `05 or 06 here. they do not work as they said they would work. I think they just save on leg work for the meter readers and a nifty way to know when you flush the toilet. You know what I mean oldvet………………………. Any way goodnight all you guys. I`ve got a early morn. and I`ve had a looong day.
The federal grant encourages the installation of smart meters, nothing more.
Here in Sacramento we are battling our electric utility over smart meters, the opt out program, and the analog meter option. The utility has never notified its customers about the program or the option. They have one website which is intentionally deceptive and deliberately conceals from customers key information about the analog meter option. One page, that is, which a person would never see unless he was looking for it. Also, SMUD continues to deceive, mislead and lie to customers who call in asking to get an analog meter. The following video from January 21, 2016 shows this very clearly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOoJICqk9Bo
This has been going on at least since May 2013 (yes 2013) as the minutes of the June 6, 2013 meeting clearly show, with public comments from several customers. These customers are the tip of the iceberg because most people are not willing to go to a Board of Directors meeting to speak and be recorded on TV.
It was only by coincidence that we met the doctor who spoke to the Board at the January 21 meeting. She asked for an analog meter in October, 2015 and still does not have one. The utility put a non-transmitting digital meter on her house and told her it was an analog meter. After that she called them and asked for it again and they gave her all sorts of resistance and tried to talk her out of it. She made 3 phone calls and waited 25 minutes on hold on the last one. As she said, opting out should be an easy process.
Be informed, reject the smart meter, and shield yourself from it if you can’t get rid of it.
Good luck all!
Mark
http://www.sacsmartmeters.org/