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| Controversial Infrared Camera is Praised by Police |
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Posted by FoM on September 24, 2001 at 09:27:34 PT By Wendy Ginsberg, Inquirer Suburban Staff Source: Philadelphia Inquirer 
Township police are touting their acquisition of a controversial, heat-sensing camera whose constitutionality was addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court this year. The infrared thermal-imaging camera allows officers to see things that would be impossible to spot with the naked eye, such as a suspect hiding in a bush or a child lost in dark woods. While a growing number of police departments have begun using thermal imaging, many civil-liberties advocates fear that the technology might infract on privacy rights. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that using such devices on private homes without a search warrant is illegal. "Because of the case law, we keep its use more for searching open fields and to maintain officer safety," Medford Detective Sgt. Anthony Canale said. Canale attended a five-day, 40-hour course on thermal-imaging law and how to use the equipment. He, in turn, trained six officers in the department on camera use. "We use it in fugitive apprehensions, vehicle pursuits, or to save an officer from an ambush if a suspect is hiding in perimeter areas," Canale said. Privacy advocates, meanwhile, are closely monitoring use of infrared cameras. "We're not anti-police or anti-investigation," said Chris J. Hoofnagle, legislative counsel from the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a watchdog group in Washington. "What we're looking for is judicial review. Police have to make a showing to look into people's homes." The camera measures the heat emitted by an object and displays the results on a small monitor. The camera does not emit any ray or sensor and cannot sense the heat in anything that is behind glass. "The device works with absolutely no ambient light, so it's very helpful," said Paul Robinson, a senior agent with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and treasurer of the Law Enforcement Thermographers' Association. "What people see in the movies is absolutely false. You cannot see through walls, but you can use the camera to scan the area to see if there's anybody out there that can be a threat to you." Medford is the first town in the region to employ a car-mounted thermal-imaging camera, which is secured to the top of a police cruiser that only patrols at night. A $10,000 grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy paid for the camera and training. Robinson said that the camera had been used for law enforcement for many years, but that it was growing in popularity around the nation. Merwin Simpson, a sales coordinator for EMX Inc., a company that manufactures the devices, said business had been increasing. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks also sparked sales. The camera had been used to detect marijuana growth in private homes until the Supreme Court justices, in Kyllo v. United States, decided that "while the technology used in the present case was relatively crude, the rule we adopt must take account of more sophisticated systems that are already in use or in development." The American Civil Liberties Union said the court's decision was "clearly written with one eye on future technological developments." Thermal imaging is familiar technology in New Jersey. Former Gov. Christie Whitman appropriated $7.5 million in April 2000 to give every fire department in the state a thermal-imaging camera, making it the first state to do so. Voorhees, Collingswood, Woodbury and West Deptford were among the first towns to get handheld versions of the cameras. Whitman said the cameras made it easier to find victims in smoke-filled rooms. Pennsylvania, however, is more hesitant to embrace thermal technology. In 1999, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that use of the infrared cameras was unconstitutional without a warrant. Medford police said the camera operators were well-versed in proper use. The equipment can help in investigations of illegal dumping by showing where chemicals, which have varying heat levels, have been discarded. It can help police investigate traffic accidents by detecting skid marks that are not visible to the eye, Canale said. The camera can also spot someone who is drowning in a lake. "It can't look through walls. It can't look through glass. Private homes are protected," Canale said. "But it can alert officers to dangerous problems." Complete Title: Controversial Infrared Camera is Praised by Medford's Police Source: Inquirer (PA) Related Articles & Web Site: Freedom’s Value - National Review Fourth Amendment Still Applies Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 24, 2001 at 11:00:05 PT |
| You are wise. Where are we going? I spend a lot of time thinking but I don't come up with any answers. My husband is loading steel right now for a big city and now truckers are going to be watched more closely too because of chemical fears. Lots of drivers haul bio harazard but my husband doesn't anymore even though his license says he can. One truck loaded with bad stuff could do unbelievable damage. Very scary times. I watched Behind the Veil and it twisted my head. How can you fight the mentality of the Taliban? Thanks. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on September 24, 2001 at 10:53:29 PT:
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| Query; What is this? Is it a pathetically obvious attempt at journalism by a cop? (You don't think a real journalist penned this bit of PR drivel straight from their blotters, do you? Nawwww! Couldn't be! No self respecting journalist would toady for some scraps and 'inside scoops' from Officer Boot's station house, now would they? Would they?) Or is it actually an intentional attempt to legitimize to the taxpayers the purchase of a device whose real purpose is revealled almost from the get go...by admitting it's origin? "Medford is the first town in the region to employ a car-mounted thermal-imaging camera, which is secured to the top of a police cruiser that only patrols at night. A $10,000 grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy paid for the camera and training. So, why does it ride around, only at night, on top of a policeman's car? There's only one reason, folks, and you guessed it; to look for grow operations. Which the operators are explicitly forbidden to do. But Porky just can't take the hint; he has to get his snout bloodied by a few more lawsuits before he gets the message; otherwise, it will go like this: "Gee, Yer Honor, I was drivin' around, and the camera went and started beeping. I looked at the image of th' house it just happened to be pointing at and I saw all this heat comin' out. I thought it might be a fire, and went runnin' up and banged on the door to warn the people." Then I smelt the mar-ee-jew-wanna and that was it." "well, Officer Boot, did you notice any flames or smoke?" "No suh, I di'n't see any, but wit' dat much heat comin' out, I knew dere was sumpin', wrong, if ya knowwhutImean." (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) God, they are so transparent at times. [ Post Comment ] |
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