inessential by Brent Simmons

Stingray

It’s not just military equipment for the police that’s bothersome. It’s also surveillance equipment that the Tacoma police (for one) uses:

Known as Stingray, the device — small enough to be carried in a car — tricks cellphones into thinking it’s a cell tower and draws in their information.

According to the article, the Tacoma police has had this capability since 2008. It’s not a new thing.

Apparently the police have to be the army and the NSA.