"The Tacoma Police Department sent out a press release Wednesday that began: “The Tacoma Police Department has a cell site simulator.”

"...A “cell site simulator” (Stingray) is a mobile device that fits inside a car and tricks phones into connecting with it. It can scoop up records of every cellphone call, text message and data transfer within a half-mile radius. People whose records are scooped up don’t know it.

"The Police Department says it doesn’t store data about innocent people. But it won’t explain the technology that sorts through data without storing it at least temporarily. The department is consulting with the feds to see what it can say.

"...Tacoma police said they get a warrant each time they use the Stingray. Judges sign so-called “pen/trap/trace” authorizations, they said. Those traditionally allow police to get cellphone data for a specific suspect from the phone company.

"...The Superior Court presiding judge said, as far as he knew, police never said they were using a Stingray when they applied for a warrant. He was surprised to learn the department had one.

"The county prosecutor said he didn’t know .... Neither did the director of the public defenders’ office.

"When (The News Tribune) asked to see a purchase order, the city blacked out most of the information, citing the state open records law exemption for “specific intelligence information and specific investigative records.”

"Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, said the exemption is supposed to protect information about a specific case, not this kind of administrative information.

"...Members of the Tacoma City Council were surprised to learn of the Stingray."

To learn more, read the full article in The News Tribune.

Deb Gaber