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Cops Deploy StingRay Anti-Terror Tech Against $50 Chicken-Wing Thief (theregister.co.uk)

Posted by msmash on from the mystery-of-a-chicken-wing-thief dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report on The Register: Police in Maryland, U.S., used controversial cellphone-tracking technology intended only for the most serious crimes to track down a man who stole $50 of chicken wings. Police in Annapolis -- an hour's drive from the heart of government in Washington DC -- used a StingRay cell tower simulator in an effort to find the location of a man who had earlier robbed a Pizza Boli employee of 15 chicken wings and three sandwiches. Total worth: $56.77. In that case, according to the police log, a court order was sought and received but in many other cases across the United States, the technology is being used with minimal oversight, despite the fact it is only supposed to be used in the most serious cases such as terrorism.Annapolis police never found the thief.

6 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. True Crime by BradleyUffner · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The real crime here is that 3 sandwiches and 15 wings costs $56.77.

    1. Re:True Crime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The critical point (left out of the story) is that the culprit robbed the deliveryman at gunpoint. When you stick a gun in someone's face, the value of what you steal doesn't make your crime less serious.

    2. Re:True Crime by Calydor · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you can't cite a single reputable source for the chicken wings and sandwiches being stolen at gunpoint (or with a knife or any other potentially lethal weapon) then we have no way of determining whether you are talking out of your ass or not. The fact that you are posting anonymously then points in the direction of not wanting to tarnish an otherwise proper reputation, and that only lends credence to assuming you are full of it.

      TL,DR: Citation needed.

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  2. If it's available, it will be used.. by QuietLagoon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... it is only supposed to be used in the most serious cases such as terrorism....

    A law enforcement official once told me that he will use any and all tools that are available to him, regardless of their intended usage.

    .
    So stories like this no longer surprise me.

    1. Re:If it's available, it will be used.. by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Informative

      no one is watching the watchers and this is the result of that.

      power, unchecked, gets us this.

      I know this is slashdot .. but did you miss the part in TFS where the cop GOT THE COURT ORDER FIRST????????

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  3. So? by 110010001000 · · Score: 5, Informative

    So? They had a court order to do it and that is a felony. Of course the "outrageous" story left out a little bit: the guy robbed the employee using a handgun. Oh wait, that is a bit less outrageous. Anything for clicks though! Good job Slashdot.