A burglary in Vanderburgh County in June 2024 has sparked widespread concern about the use of signal jammers. At the time, the suspect used a cell phone jammer to disrupt the home's Wi-Fi and cellular networks, rendering the monitoring system and alarm device completely ineffective. GPS jammer This case made law enforcement realize that although federal law explicitly prohibits the use of signal jammers, there are no specific regulations for this behavior in the local legal system of Indiana. Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson therefore called on the state legislature to quickly enact relevant laws to fill this legal loophole and ensure public safety.Wifi jammer

　　Threats and crime scenarios of signal jammers

　　Signal jammers are devices that can block radio signals and are widely used to interfere with Wi-Fi, cellular networks, and GPS signals. signal jammer This type of device is extremely concealed and destructive in criminal activities, especially in destroying home security systems, which can provide great convenience for criminals. Sheriff Robinson testified that many modern security devices, such as Ring doorbells and alarm systems, rely on wireless networks or cellular signals for transmission. Once the signal is interfered with, these devices will lose their function, causing the monitoring system to fail.

　　He recalled that in June this year, Vanderburgh County police found a signal jammer in a vehicle involved in a burglary for the first time. The existence of this device provides criminals with unprecedented technical support, allowing them to commit crimes without being interfered with by the monitoring and alarm systems of security equipment, making it easy to commit thefts. Robinson pointed out that these jammers give criminals a technical advantage and greatly increase the difficulty of law enforcement.

　　Legislative Need: Crack Down on Signal Jammers

　　In testimony to the State Assembly's Interim Research Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law, Sheriff Robinson made it clear that although federal law prohibits the use of signal jammers, Indiana does not have any explicit legal provisions against intentional interference with communications equipment. Criminals can easily obtain these devices through illegal channels, and law enforcement agencies cannot prosecute their use of signal jammers under state regulations when faced with such cases, except for accusing them of theft.

　　Sheriff Robinson called on the Legislature to quickly pass a new law that would make the importation, possession and use of signal jamming devices a state crime, and to grade the crime according to the scenario and degree of harm. He proposed that the new law should establish severe penalties and gradually escalate the penalties according to the way the jamming device is used criminally. He also emphasized that signal jamming devices are highly circulated and can now be easily purchased online, which poses a serious threat to public safety.

　　Legal gap: the need to crack down on jamming devices

　　Rep. Wendy McNamara also expressed concern about the issue. She pointed out that this theft case made her realize that signal jammers can not only destroy the security equipment of the home, but also prevent victims from calling 911 for help, thereby increasing the risk to public safety. "These jamming devices may mean that victims cannot call 911 for help or access their security cameras. We want to close any loopholes in state law to ensure that criminals are held accountable."

　　She plans to introduce legislation on signal jammers in the January 2025 legislative session. McNamara said she will continue to work with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies to find effective legislative solutions to combat the illegal use of signal jammers.