Prior to June, Sheriff Noah Robinson of Vanderburgh County had not contemplated the potential disruption that signal jammers could cause to law enforcement activities.
It was at that moment that his office found one located in the rear of a vehicle.
Last week, Robinson informed an interim legislative committee that the office received a report regarding an ongoing burglary. The staff utilized surveillance camera systems within the subdivision to identify a vehicle associated with the suspected burglars.
According to Robinson, when the officer stopped the vehicle, both his radio and computer ceased functioning.
Signal jammers possess the capability to disrupt various communication technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, thereby affecting devices such as smartphones, Ring doorbells, and wireless alarm systems. According to Robinson, the device identified by his office has a range of up to one mile.
He addressed a temporary panel dedicated to the criminal code, urging the lawmaker-led group to contemplate the establishment of a new law that would criminalize the importation and diverse applications of the devices.
Robinson cautioned that it is unnecessary to delve deeper to recognize that this has additional applications, especially concerning terrorism.
He presented various scenarios in which malicious individuals could disrupt medical devices within hospitals, interfere with police communications through surveillance towers, compromise the mobile phones of everyday residents via cellular towers, and even manipulate traffic flow managed by wirelessly controlled traffic signals.
The use of signal wifi jammers is prohibited at the federal level. The Federal Communications Commission forbids the marketing, sale, or utilization of any device that disrupts authorized radio communications.
Representative Matt Pierce, a Democrat from Bloomington, stated that even correctional facilities are unable to employ signal jammers to effectively address the issue of contraband mobile phones.
Senator Lonnie Randolph, representing East Chicago, inquired about the rationale for Indiana legislators to consider modifications when these devices are prohibited at the federal level.
Robinson stated that there is no state statute that grants Indiana officers the authority to enforce the law "immediately."
Representative Wendy McNamara, who chairs the interim panel as well as the House’s Courts and Criminal Code committee, expressed her belief that Robinson’s office experienced a stroke of luck, stating that the situation "could have been much worse."
However, she suggested that legislation concerning the technology may not progress swiftly.
McNamara informed reporters that, frankly, there is currently no established strategy for addressing the issue of signal jammers.
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