Police are using new radar that can track you inside your home
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Being used by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and at least 50 other law enforcement agencies around the country, the Range-R device provides a way for police officers to track people within a home using a Doppler radar system. Shaped similar to a stud finder that you would find in a hardware store, the device can track movements, such as someone taking a breath, up to a distance of about 50 feet. Ideal for a drug raid or a hostage situation, the device could potentially map out all people within a building and help the police make judgement calls on the best plan to breach.
According to the manufacturer of the Range-R, the device can penetrate wall materials that include “poured concrete, concrete block, brick, wood, stucco glass, adobe and dirt.” Interestingly, the device cannot track movements through a sheet of metal material and also has difficulty tracking people when being used against a water-soaked wall. Of course, law enforcement officials can simply attempt the scan in another location to test for a different result.
Of course, the device does not provide any form of visual image of the people within a home, nor can it determine if a suspect is armed prior to police entering a home. At best, it gives police verification that someone is inside the home, determine the activity level of that person and pinpoint an exact location.
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According to USA Today, use of the radars have been kept relatively quiet by law enforcement officials until a judge recently scrutinized the decision to use the device to track down a parole violator. According to the details of the case, the judge indicated that the police should have obtained a search warrant before using the radar device and use of the device without a search warrant brings up potential Fourth Amendment issues. To date, the U.S. Marshals Service has spent about $180,000 on these types of devices over the last three years.