Another article of mine was reprinted on Reason’s website, showing how the leftover spoils from the Republican National Convention have left a police state in the city of Tampa, Fla.

Reason is a libertarian magazine that features great commentary and analysis on the pressing issues of our day.

Enjoy:

A vast network of surveillance cameras, armored trucks with weapons mounting capabilities, and state-of-the-art bulletproof vests strong enough to withstand high-caliber rounds.

Those are just a few of the spoils enjoyed by the Tampa Police Department during the highly anticipated Republican National Convention, which occupied the city from Aug. 27-30 and hosted close to 45,000 delegates, guests, and members of the media.

But while most of the convention-goers have long since left Tampa Bay, the millions of dollars in security costs awarded to local police departments have stayed put, engendering a new kind of technological surveillance state never before seen by Florida residents.

The money in question was allocated by Congress in early 2012, designating $50 million each to the RNC in Tampa and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in order to cover “security costs” expected by host cities.

Read more: Reason.com