Baltimore Police used secret "stingray" technology to track cellphones in thousands of cases

The Baltimore Police Department has an agreement with the
U.S. government to withhold certain information about secretive
cellphone surveillance technology from the public and the courts.

The Baltimore Police Department has used an invasive and controversial cellphone tracking device thousands of times in recent years while following instructions from the FBI to withhold information about it from prosecutors and judges, a detective revealed in court testimony Wednesday.

The testimony shows for the first time how frequently city police are using a cell site simulator, more commonly known as a "stingray," a technology that authorities have gone to great lengths to avoid disclosing.

The device mimics a cellphone tower to force phones within its range to connect. Police use it to track down stolen phones or find people.

source: www.baltimoresun.com...=1

Since when did the police actually start looking for a stolen cell phone? Sounds like a story to make the people not get that upset.

a reply to: wasaka

This story is VERY similar to this one from yesterday, but from across the country:
www.thenewstribune.com...

I, and I'm sure a bunch of people here, have heard, and known about this for a while... I wonder why just NOW it's getting any attention...