In 2019, the Boston Police Department bought a cell-site simulator with a price tag of $627,000. But the BPD didn't have money in its budget for such an expenditure. It paid for the invasive and controversial surveillance tech with asset forfeiture money.
Recent studies have detected simple arithmetic abilities beyond mammal and bird brains, from salamanders to bees. A new study adds stingrays and cichlids to the small but growing list of animals that can do basic addition and subtraction.
The feds sell the technology in the name of “anti-terrorism” efforts. With non-disclosure agreements in place, most police departments refuse to release any information on the use of stingrays. But information obtained from the Tacoma Police Department revealed that it uses the technology primarily for routine criminal investigations.
The legislation would help block the use of cell-site simulators, commonly known as “stingrays.” These devices essentially spoof cell phone towers, tricking any device within range into connecting to the stingray instead of the tower, allowing law enforcement to sweep up communications content, as well as locate and track the person in possession of a specific phone or other electronic device.