Ethics Newsline®

CINCINNATI
Police in Ohio are testing a hand-held scanner that can tell police if a suspect is on one of 140 watch lists, an advance hailed by police as a breakthrough in fighting crime.

The device is raising ethical concerns among privacy advocates who say it is another symptom of the approach of Big Brother, UPI reports.

Known as the Mobilisa m2500 Defense ID system, the device reads magnetic strips or barcodes on ID cards, passports, and driver’s licenses. USA Today reports that within a second it can identify whether the person is a fugitive from justice, has convictions for violent crimes, or is a convicted sex offender.

The device also checks against watch lists from the Drug Enforcement Agency and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer News Service.