On September 10, 2024, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson testified before the Indiana Legislative Interim Committee, detailing the serious threats posed by cell phone jammers in law enforcement. His testimony revealed that the use of these devices is posing a major challenge to police operations and public safety, and called on state legislation to take measures to criminalize the import and use of these devices. GPS jammer
Sudden Threat: Signal Jammers in Law Enforcement Operations
One day in June, Robinson and his team discovered the dangers of signal jammers. Wifi jammer At the time, they were responding to a burglary and tracked a suspected criminal vehicle with the help of a community camera system. However, when an officer stopped the car, the communication equipment suddenly failed, and the signal jammer in the car caused the police’s radio and computer to be completely disconnected.signal jammer Robinson pointed out that it was this small electronic device that gave thieves a huge advantage, allowing them to easily turn off cameras and alarm systems.
“Until that time, I had never particularly considered the dangers of signal jammers,” Robinson admitted. However, the discovery prompted him to seriously consider the impact these devices could have on law enforcement, healthcare, transportation and even national security.
Potential Threat of Signal Jammers
Signal jammers are small electronic devices that can block a variety of wireless signals, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The jammer Robinson found in the car has a range of up to a mile, which means that in a short period of time, it can disable all nearby wireless devices. Because of their ability to effectively block radio signals and mobile phone communications, signal jammers are becoming a tool for thieves and other criminals.
Robinson warned lawmakers that the dangers of signal jammers go far beyond burglary. He worries that these devices can be used by malicious actors to destroy medical equipment in hospitals, interfere with police communication networks, and even affect the operation of traffic lights. This not only poses a direct threat to law enforcement, but also has the potential to endanger public safety, especially in emergencies.
“This device provides a huge advantage to criminals because all devices that rely on wireless technology are useless in front of it,” Robinson said. He also mentioned that although these devices are banned at the federal level, ordinary people can still easily purchase them through online channels.
Disconnect between federal and state regulations
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), it is illegal to market, sell, and use any device that interferes with authorized radio communications. Despite this, the use of signal jammers is still difficult to completely eliminate. In particular, local law enforcement is often powerless when faced with these devices due to the lack of state-level legislative support.
Robinson pointed out that although federal law clearly prohibits the use of signal jammers, Indiana still lacks specific laws against these devices. Since state law has not yet given local law enforcement agencies sufficient power, police often feel helpless when dealing with such cases.
At the hearing, Senator Lonnie Randolph of East Chicago raised a key question: Since federal law has clearly prohibited the use of signal jammers, why do state lawmakers need to take action?
In response, Robinson explained that although federal law currently stipulates the use of signal jammers, it does not give local police the power to take immediate action. Therefore, he called on state legislators to pass corresponding regulations to ensure that local law enforcement can respond quickly when faced with the threat of signal jammers.
