POSTED BY Abner Pinedo

It is becoming increasingly more common that our nation’s police officers are utilizing handheld radars in their daily practice. Most recently, a new type of handheld sensor, the RANGER-R, which was originally designed for use in Iraq and Afghanistan, has made its way to our nation’s police force. This device has the capability to seeing through walls. The RANGER-R sends out radio waves that can identify even the slightest movements allowing a police officer to see whether anyone is inside a house.

The FBI and the U.S. Marshal service began utilizing this new technology with little to no notice to the public. The device has raised legal and privacy issues. The U.S. Supreme Court has stated, that police officers are not allowed to use high-tech sensors to invade a persons privacy inside their home without first obtaining a search warrant. Police officers support the use of such equipment in order to establish the safety of their own police force, especially when it comes to raiding “dangerous” individuals’ homes. However, a general fear is that such a device could fall in the hands of a malignant criminal who can easily utilize this device to send signals inside of their victim’s house before committing a crime.

Another issue at hand is the lack of transparency among the agencies that wield such technology. William Sorukas, a former supervisor of the Marshals Service’s domestic investigations arm, expressed that deputies are not instructed to hide the agency’s high-tech tools, however they also know not to advertise their existence. Other police sergeants have stated, that probable cause was received by a “confidential source,” causing further blurring of the reality of these powerful devices.

The main issue is not the technology, but rather how these radars are utilized and what the safeguards are. There is no doubt that devices like the RANGE-R pose a threat to an individual’s privacy, but that will not hinder the user of the device from abusing its power.