Stingray Tracking Devices: Who's Got Them?

[Updated November 2018]

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 agencies known to have the technology. The ACLU has identified 75 agencies in 27 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.

More on Stingray tracking devices

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Alaska

Local police have cell site simulators

Alabama

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Arkansas

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Arizona

Local police have cell site simulators

Colorado

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Connecticut

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Delaware

State police have cell site simulators

State Police
Delaware State Police (FOIA Response to Mike Katz-Lacabe)

Florida

Local and state 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

Local police have cell site simulators

Local Police
Gwinnett County Police

Hawaii

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Idaho

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

 

 

Indiana

Local and state police have cell site simulators

Iowa

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Kansas

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Kentucky

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Louisiana

State police have cell site simulators

Maine

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Massachusetts

Local police have cell site simulators

Local Police
Boston Police Department (via Center for Human Rights and Privacy)

Michigan

Local and state police have cell site simulators

Mississippi

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Missouri

Local police have cell site simulators

Montana

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Nebraska

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Nevada

Local police have cell site simulators

New Hampshire

State police have cell site simulators

New Mexico

Local police have cell site simulators

New York

Local and state police have cell site simulators

North Dakota

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Ohio

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Oklahoma

State police have cell site simulators

Oregon

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Pennsylvania

State police have cell site simulators

Rhode Island

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

South Carolina

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

South Dakota

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Tennessee

Local and state police have cell site simulators

Utah

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Vermont

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Virginia

Local and state police have cell site simulators

Washington State

Local police have cell site simulators

West Virginia

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Wisconsin

Local and state police have cell site simulators

Wyoming

Police use of cell site simulators unknown

Federal Agencies Known to Use Cell Site Simulators:

Stay Informed