SALINAS, Calif- These days people use cell phones for instant acces to information. Applications on the phones can help you check the weather, the stocks, and the news. There are some apps though that help users not only avoid the law, but break the law. Lawyers say little can be done to stop the applications from existing. The sounds of sirens and police jolt people into attention, but new phone applications help users fake sirens and police lights. "As technology continues to grow and evolve, some peopel are going to use it for bad.", said Salinas Police Sergeant John Lynn.
The sound effects can only get as loud as a speaker on a cell phone, but a lot of cars now have audio jacks which the phones can be hooked up to. Once connected, users can crank the volume up as high as they want. "With some of the speaker systems in some cars it can definitely get pretty loud. Someone could interpret this as this is really happening. This may be a police officer.", Lynn added.
Police in Boise, Idaho arrested a 21 year old for impersonating a police officer. Police say Alexander Welch flashed a police light phone application at night to try and pull someone over. A group of teens in Maryland also used a light app and stopped 3 different drivers. There's also evidence people have been able to use the fake sirens to impersonate police and get away with it. A quick glance over reviews for siren applications show users claiming they've been able to pull it off. One reviewer who claimed to be a U.S. Federal Marshall posted, "I have a car with no light. One day I had to get through a crowd. I hooked up my speakers and taped my i-pad to the dashboard. People actually got out of the way." Another person wrote, "I pulled over one person with it and then sped off. Get this app it's really fun!".
Cops aren't laughing, but applications that imitate sirens and glow as police lights are legal according to lawyers from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Attorney Julie Samuels says virtually all applications are protected as free speech. "Prohibiting certain apps is the same thing as book burning.", said Samuels. Smart phone application stores do self regulate. "An app store can decide which apps to sell the same way barnes and noble can decide which books to sell but the government can't destroy those books and the government can't destroy those apps.", Samuels added. For instance, Apple recently stopped accepting applications from developers that warned people of DUI checkpoints. The application Trapster originally had the checkpoint notifier, but removed the feature to stay in the store. The application does still alert users to speed traps, but Salinas police say they have no problem with it since in the end it gets drivers to slow down. "It's a win for us and a win for the public.", said Lynn.
As for the fake wail of a siren, police say people just need to be vigilant and ask for identification if there is concern the cop isn't real. While the phone applications are protected, the potential crimes that can be committed with them are not. Law enforcement warns impersonating a police officer can carry a felony charge.
