Stingray Tracking Devices: Who's Got Them?
The map below tracks what we know, based on press reports and publicly available documents, about the use of stingray tracking devices by state and local police departments. Following the map is a list of the federal law enforcement agencies known to use the technology throughout the United States. The ACLU has identified 46 agencies in 18 states and the District of Columbia that own stingrays, but because many agencies continue to shroud their purchase and use of stingrays in secrecy, this map dramatically underrepresents the actual use of stingrays by law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Stingrays, also known as "cell site simulators" or "IMSI catchers," are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and send out signals to trick cell phones in the area into transmitting their locations and identifying information. When used to track a suspect's cell phone, they also gather information about the phones of countless bystanders who happen to be nearby. Click here for the latest ACLU news and analysis on stingrays.
Alaska
Alaska
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Anchorage Police Department
Alabama
Alabama
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Arkansas
Arkansas
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Arizona
Arizona
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Tucson Police Department
Maricopa County Sheriff: "'Stingray' Phone Tracker Fuels Constitutional Clash" (Wall Street Journal)
Tempe
Gilbert Police Department (possible)
California
California
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
San Diego Police Department: "Local police dealt with company that makes controversial cellphone tracking technology" (ABC News 10)
San Jose Police Department, Oakland Police Department, San Diego Sheriff's Department, San Francisco Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and Sacramento County Sheriff: "9 Calif. law enforcement agencies connected to cellphone spying technology" (ABC News 10)
Los Angeles Police Department: "LAPD Spy Device Taps Your Cell Phone" (LA Weekly)
San Bernadino County Sheriff: "Law enforcement officials: Cell phone disclosures would hurt investigations" (Desert Sun)
Colorado
Colorado
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Connecticut
Connecticut
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
District of Columbia
Washington D.C.
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department: "Police in Washington, DC Are Using the Secretive 'Stingray' Cell Phone Tracking Tool" (Vice News)
Delaware
Delaware
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Florida
Florida
State and local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Miami-Dade Police Department: "Cell-phone tracking: Miami cops know where you are" (Miami New Times)
City of Miami Police Department
Sunrise Police Department
State Police
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE loans cell site simulators to local and county police departments throughout the state)
Georgia
Georgia
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Gwinnett County Police
Hawaii
Hawaii
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Iowa
Iowa
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Idaho
Idaho
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Illinois
Illinois
State and local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Chicago Police Department: "Lawsuit seeks details on Chicago Police purchases of cellular tracking gear" (Chicago Sun-Times)
After Denials Chicago Police Department Admits Purchase Of Cell-Phone Spying Devices (CBS Chicago)
State Police
Illinois State Police
Indiana
Indiana
State police have cell site simulators.
State Police
Indiana State Police: "Indiana State Police tracking cellphones — but won't say how or why" (Indianapolis Star)
Kansas
Kansas
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Kentucky
Kentucky
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Louisiana
Louisiana
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Maryland
Maryland
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Montgomery County
Baltimore
Anne Arundel County I & II
Prince George's County: "Asset Seizures Fuel Police Spending" (Washington Post)
Maine
Maine
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Michigan
Michigan
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Oakland County Sheriff: "Secret military device lets Oakland deputies track cellphones" (Detroit News)
Minnesota
Minnesota
State and local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Hennepin County Sheriff: "This time, Stanek lands KingFish phone tracker" (Star Tribune)
State Police
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension: "BCA still keeps quiet about cell tracking technology----admit have Stingray" (Open Secrets)
Missouri
Missouri
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
St. Louis Police Department (Probable)
Mississippi
Mississippi
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Montana
Montana
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
North Carolina
North Carolina
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Charlotte Police Department I & II (possible)
Durham Police Department
Raleigh Police Department: "Raleigh, Durham police using device that tracks cellphone data" (WRAL)
Wilmington Police Department
North Dakota
North Dakota
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Nebraska
Nebraska
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
New Jersey
New Jersey
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
New Mexico
New Mexico
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Nevada
Nevada
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
New York
New York
State and local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Erie County Sheriff: "Erie Co. Sheriff Spent $350,000 To Spy On Cell Phones" (WGRZ TV)
State Police
New York State Police: "Local Police Agencies Have Devices to Spy on Cell Phones" (WGRZ TV)
Ohio
Ohio
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Oregon
Oregon
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
State police have cell site simulators.
State Police
Pennsylvania State Police: "Confirmed: PA State Police Purchased Controversial StingRay Surveillance Technology Last Year" (The Declaration)
Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
South Carolina
South Carolina
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
South Dakota
South Dakota
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Tennessee
Tennessee
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Texas
Texas
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Fort Worth Police Department: "Fort Worth Cellphone Tracker Rings Controversy" (NBC 5)
Houston Police Department
State Police
Texas Department of Public Safety: "APD: Can We Please Buy Some Top-Secret 'Stingrays'?" (Austin Chronicle)
Utah
Utah
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Virginia
Virginia
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Alexandria Police Department (possible)
Chesterfield Police Department
Vermont
Vermont
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Washington
Washington
Local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police:
Tacoma Police Department: Documents: Tacoma Police Using Surveillance Device to Sweep Up Cellphone Data (News Tribune)
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
State and local police have cell site simulators.
Local Police
Milwaukee Police Department: "State cops can track residents' cellphones" (Post Crescent)
State Police
Wisconsin Department of Justice: "State cops can track residents' cellphones" (Gannett Wisconsin)
West Virginia
West Virginia
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.
Wyoming
Wyoming
Police use of cell site simulators unknown.