A handheld device that can tell in a second whether a person is on one of 140 wanted or watch lists is being hailed by police as a crime-fighting breakthrough and flayed by civil libertarians as an intrusion on the innocent.
The sheriff’s office in Clermont County, Ohio, is the first civilian law enforcement agency in the nation to test the portable fugitive finder.
Police say Mobilisa Inc.’s m2500 Defense ID system shows promise of saving them time and helping them fight crime. Critics say it intensifies questions about privacy.
The Port Townsend, Wash., wireless technology company says its handheld electronic scanner can identify within a second whether someone is a fugitive from justice, has a violent criminal past or is a convicted sex offender.
The scanner reads the magnetic strip or barcode on state-issued ID cards, passports and driver’s licenses. It uses the information to determine whether a person shows up on wanted or watch lists.