Police in Tacoma, Washington have bought and used surveillance equipment that record any cell phone use in a half-mile. For six years, the Tacoma Police Department has had access to every call, text, and data transfer in the radius surrounding this equipment.
This means that law enforcement has been gathering evidence against regular citizens, not just those that have been convicted of criminal charges.
The Stingray Cell Phone Tracking Device
The device, called Stingray, is small enough to be carried in a car, and tricks cellphones into thinking it is a cell tower, drawing information from the device. A common form of surveillance used by police has been to track a cell signal to determine the location of a subject and how long and frequently they have been in a place. Police note that the surveillance can be used to find drug dealers and violent criminals, but some critics worry that innocent people are being spied on in generalized searches.
Law enforcement agencies in the state do not claim to have a Stingray, but purchase orders, invoices, contracts, police newsletters, and personal testimonies all suggest the state has been using this device. A nondisclosure agreement with the FBI has been cited as the reason for the secrecy. Recent requests for information required approval from the FBI, as well as the censoring of purchase documents requested by the media.
Tacoma Police were assisted in purchasing the cellphone surveillance device through a federal program. In 2007, a Department of Justice Law Enforcement Grant through the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center, Technology Transfer Program provided funding for the Stingray device and related equipment and upgrades. The purpose of the device was to help control the drug trade.
How Stingray Devices Work
The Stingray works by acting like a cell phone tower with a strong signal, which cell phones will seek to send and receive information. The device will send out a signal and all phones in radius will respond. The data from the cell phone is run through government equipment before being passed to a legitimate cell tower. This allows police to analyze conversations between people, such as calls and texts, and how long these conversations last.
Some data can usually be obtained through the use of a warrant aimed at one person. Police are able to request information from a cell phone company once a judge has signed a warrant understanding that that access is necessary. Devices like the Stingray collect cell phone data in real time, and can pick up activities of more people than allowed from the warrant.
How does this affect everyday citizens?
Stingray and other surveillance devices collect the information of innocent people while searching for helpful criminal leads. What is done with this information or how it is being used against citizens cannot be tracked. A person's right to privacy can only be invaded in the light of judicial authority. When this is missing, law enforcement is overstepping their legal rights.
Criminal defense lawyers know the ways that law enforcement can use surveillance to their advantage and also when it is legal and illegal to do so. If you or a loved one has been brought up on charges that involved the use of police surveillance devices, contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer to examine your case immediately.
