NYPD Wants to Jam Cell Phones During Terror Attack

[babylonsister]

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/01/nypd-eyes-disru.html

NYPD Wants to Jam Cell Phones During Terror Attack
By Noah Shachtman
January 08, 2009


During last month's massacre in Mumbai, terrorist handlers over micromanaged via mobile phone the assaults on the hotels, train stations, and Jewish center that killed more than 170 people.

In testimony today before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly (pictured) said he wanted to take out that "formidable capacity to adjust tactics while attacks are underway."

We also discussed the complications of media coverage that could disclose law enforcement tactics in real time. This phenomenon is not new. In the past, police were able to defeat any advantage it might give hostage takers by cutting off power to the location they were in. However, the proliferation of handheld devices would appear to trump that solution. When lives are at stake, law enforcement needs to find ways to disrupt cell phones and other communications in a pinpointed way against terrorists who are using them.

For now, Kelly said, the NYPD is taking a whole range of measures to stop another Mumbai-style spree -- from working with private businesses to interdicting boats to training recruits in heavy weapons to installing a spycam network across downtown Manhattan.

But Charles Allen, the Department of Homeland Security's top intelligence official, confessed to the Senate panel that "response to a similar terrorist attack in a major U.S. urban city would be complicated and difficult."

The chaos the attacks created magnified the difficulty of mounting an appropriate response. First responders, in order to deal with such a crisis, must first and foremost have adequate information on what is occurring as well as the capability to mount a rapid and effective response that minimizes the impact of the attack. In Mumbai it was not immediately clear to authorities whether there were multiple attack groups or a single group. The attackers were able to exploit the initial confusion because of the indiscriminate firings to move on to new targets. While preparedness training for this type of attack may not have prevented it, the effects likely could have been mitigated and reduced if authorities had been prepared and had exercised responses to terrorist attacks across all levels of government. Within the United States, our national exercises incorporate not only federal interagency participants, but also include regional, state, and local authorities, in order to identify potential gaps in our responses.

[truebrit71]

1. Excellent way to control the news getting out...

...Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure it's for everyone's safety...

I call BULLSHIT on this ridiculous idea...

[baldguy]

8. That's what I thought too.

[Selatius]

12. Yes, that is one possible consequence of such a protocol. It can be used as a propaganda tool. nt

[NOW tense]

2. If I were in a terrorist attack and I could not talk to my wife one last time

or to just tell her I am ok. I would be pissed!

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Didn't they do this on 9/11?

[babylonsister]

5. Not that I recall; the equipment of the first responders didn't

work, but I recall that might be because Giuliani hadn't improved the quality of the equipment when he was supposed to.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[tpsbmam]

7. No. Cell phone service was jammed "naturally" by people contacting friends,

family, etc. It was simple massive usage that made cell phone service nonexistent for days. And landline service was also down for days. I grew up in NYC and left at age 29 -- I have many friends in the city, some relatives left there and some friends who worked in the WTC. I couldn't get through on either cell or landlines for days. My friends and family also, for the most part, couldn't call out, at least long-distance. It was spotty -- some could, some couldn't but I know calling into the city was next to impossible for a good 2 or 3 days. On landlines all I ever got was "circuits are busy" messages -- I know a bunch of people who've moved out of the city had the same problem.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Thanks, I thought I remembered there were problems.

[Posteritatis]

10. No, the cell phone users did it to themselves (nt)

[Donnachaidh]

4. Got news for you guys -- they won't HAVE to jam the cells

The public will do it for them.

Last earthquake we went through the cells were jammed for days, and the landlines were fine within a few hours.

Much ado about nothing. :shrug:

[cabluedem]

14. Thats true. One celltower can only handle so many calls at once. nt

[zonmoy]

6. Excellent way to create a phoney event by blocking all but official sources from

getting information out.

[babylonsister]

9. Now there's a thought. Not a good one, but trust is in short supply. nt

[NightWatcher]

11. "smart" criminals would use secure two way radios instead of cell phones. this is to silence info

and keep people in the dark.

[leftofthedial]

15. I have AT&T.

How would I be able to tell?








Seriously, more police state crap. I wonder if the Obama will do anything to reverse our slide into totalitarianism.