Documents from the 50-largest police departments in the US, acquired by CityLab, show that over the last 10 months local law enforcement agencies nationwide have been acquiring these systems, largely without public knowledge.
Most of the departments either use extraction devices that give police access to locked phones they have confiscated, or interception tools that allow officers to copy or surveil data from nearby mobile devices.
Once restricted to intelligence agencies, data obtained by law enforcement agencies across the US can now enable local police departments to access a person’s location, communications, social media network, and other personal information.
The benefits of such capabilities in a criminal investigation are obvious, but have also raised serious questions about citizen privacy and the wisdom of arming local police with military-grade surveillance equipment.
Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper told CityLab, "With 18,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, you know there are going to be many that are just going to jump on the technology bandwagon without regard for civil liberties."
Adding to this unease are the proclamations of US President Donald Trump to surveil Muslim-Americans, and other targets, within the US. An article on the White House website proclaims that "The Trump Administration will be a law and order administration," referencing Trump’s cozy relationship with law enforcement and organizations like the Fraternal Order of Police, declaring that, "President Trump will honor our men and women in uniform and will support their mission of protecting the public. The dangerous anti-police atmosphere in America is wrong. The Trump Administration will end it."
Some have viewed the statement as a thinly-veiled threat toward the Black Lives Matter movement, and other protesters who oppose police brutality, and the actions and policies of Trump and his administration.
Over the last two years more reports have surfaced of police agencies possessing advanced surveillance technology. Some of the better-known devices, like Stingrays and “dirt boxes,” act as simulated cell phone towers, compelling mobile devices to send out locations and other personal information.
The ACLU uncovered 70 agencies in 23 states and the District of Columbia that use such devices, which have the ability to monitor text messages and phone calls, extract deleted messages from confiscated phones, and track thousands of mobile devices simultaneously.
Altogether, data shows that 27 separate departments collectively spent roughly $4.6 million on spy equipment between 2012-2016.
