More than a month after the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team reported the state is using at least one Stingray device to track Wisconsin residents’ cellphones, the state Department of Justice still won’t discuss use of the technology — or even acknowledge having it.
The state denied most of a public records request late last month seeking details on how often the device is used, how data is kept and shared, and how often warrants are obtained. Assistant Attorney General Kevin Potter wrote that such information “could undermine law enforcement’s ability to use investigative techniques … to effectively investigate criminal activity” and may violate homeland security regulations.
Law enforcement agencies across the country use the Stingray in real time to track the location of cellphones, typically those owned by suspects or missing persons. But it also gathers data on hundreds or thousands of others nearby, masquerading as a cell tower to trick all cellphones within a mile into connecting to it.