Abbotsford Police have recently seized a number of the units, department spokesman Const. Ian MacDonald said.Gangsters are using over-the-counter technology to jam critical police radio transmissions and cellphone calls, say law enforcement officials.
The devices, known as cell phone signal jammer, are available online through dozens of websites for under $200, with hand-held models going for as little $80 U.S..
Criminals can employ them for anything from disrupting a patrol officer running a licence plate check after pulling over a vehicle, to preventing emergency response team members from communicating with one another while executing a drug warrant, MacDonald said.
"We have come across, and are familiar with criminal organizations and individuals using cellphone jammers . . . radio-signal jammers and even a GPS jammer. (It) can disable our ability to triangulate on their cellphones, or whatever type of communications they are trying to use. It allows them to go stealth," he said.
Federal and municipal police forces have been aware of the practice for some time, MacDonald said, but are expressing ongoing safety concerns as the technology has proliferated.
"Some (large) jammers have a range of 200 metres, depending on the size, and hand-held ones cover 50 to 80 feet. That's a pretty sizable dead zone," he said.
Another issue that coincides with jamming police communications is the monitoring of them.
Criminals with police-band radio scanners could hear of an approaching law-enforcement contingent intent on serving a warrant and leave the residence, but maintain an ongoing jamming signal, MacDonald said.
That can buy a suspect time to escape.
"They could flee, flip the jammer on and we can be tied up at that place and potentially give them more time. Police might not be able to communicate with each other if (a suspect) breaches a (containment) line," MacDonald said.
"A single officer might not be able to communicate to colleagues that he is now engaged in a foot pursuit," he said, "and that's an officer safety consideration."
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