City Council questions Boston Police over ‘Stingray’ surveillance technology

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ARE QUESTIONING WHO IT IS REALLY TARGETING. THE TECHNOLOGY ACTS LIKE A CELL PHONE TOWER, LETTING POLICE GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT NEARBY FORMS. SOME CITY CONCILLORS SAY THEY ARE TROUBLED THAT BOSNTO POLICE BUT THE TECHNOLOGY FOR IN 2019 $627,000 AND DIDN’T TELL THEM. >> THIS WAS ENTIRELY UNACCEPTABLE. BO STON POLICE US FEDORFEITURE REPORTER:BOSTON POLICE USED FORFEITURE FUNDS, OR MONEY FROM THE SALE OF SEIZED CARS AND REAL ESTATE. THEY SAY THE TECHNOLOGY S HABEEN USED 106 TIMES IN 6 YEARS. 70 UNDER COURT ORDER 36 UNRDE , PRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE A WARRANT WASN’T NEEDED LIKE A MISSING PERSON CASE. DURING A CITY COUNCIL HEARING THEY EXPLAINED HOW IT HELPED FIND HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN 20.02 >> THE EQUIPMENT WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE DEVICE AND WE WERE ABLE TO RESCUE A VICTIM. IN ADDITION, FURTHER INVESTIGATION LED TO THE RECOVERY OF BROKER OTHER VICTIMS OF HANUM TRAFFICKING. SHARMAN: LAST YEAR BOSTON PASSED , AN ORDINAN ACEDDRESSGIN SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY. >> THERE IS A VERY CLEAR SET OF CRITERIA, MECHANISMS AND PROCESS FOR ANY NEW SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY TO HAVE A USEOLICY P , PRIVACY PARAMETERS, PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND PARTICATIPION, AND COUNCIL APPROVAL. REPORTER: THE ACLU TESTIFYING POLICE ARE NOT PROPERLY FOLLOWING E THRULES. AND QUESTION, WHO THE TECHNOLOGY TARGETS. L THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE DEPLOYMENTS WERE ESSENTIALLY ROUTINE DRUG INVESTIGATIONS IN THE WAR ON DRUGS. PORERTER: BOSTON POLICE ALSO SAY THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY WAS USEFUL, AFTER A MAN IN 2020 PATENT FORMER MAYOR WALSH’S LIFE, AND TEAR GAS CITY HALL. THEY SAY IT HELPED LOCATE HIM, AND ALSO HPEL T

City Council questions Boston Police over 'Stingray' surveillance technology

Updated: 4:54 PM EDT Mar 22, 2022

The expensive and powerful piece of surveillance technology may have been used dozens of times without a warrant.

BOSTON —

The expensive and powerful piece of surveillance technology may have been used dozens of times without a warrant.

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