Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014 - JULY 6, 2014
belmontbeacon.com
Milestone ruling: Cellphone searches without warrants are now illegal By JENNIFER schlueter On Wednesday, June 25, the Supreme Court ruled cellphone searches without warrants to be illegal. The unanimous 9-0 decision involved the cases Riley v. California, 13-132 and U.S. v. Wurie, 13-212. Riley’s sophisticated smart phone and Wuris’ basic flip phone had been searched by police without a court-issued warrant. The court ruled police’s investigation practices in both cases to be unconstitutional because they violated the Fourth Amendment. The evidence on both phones led law enforcement to discover crimes. Because phones now store more and more personal data, the police frequently rely on them in search for evidence. Therefore, law enforcement agencies struggle with the court’s verdict. Even though issuing a warrant can now be done via mobile devices, it still takes valuable time – time in which crucial evidence can be destroyed or
pets during the Fourth of July is responsible pet ownership, just like licensing and keeping identification tags on pets, and making sure they are spayed or neutered The shelter will be closed Friday, July 4, 2014, but Animal Control Officers will be responding 24-hours a day to emergency calls, such as stray and injured animals, and animals that have bitten others. Animal Care staff will contact owners of lost pets that have identification tags or microchips. Animals with identification will be held at the Village for fourteen days, pending being claimed by their owner. AniPlease see page 4
Please see page 4
vancing technologies such as Stingrays capturing data from both criminals and innocents. 91 percent of adult Americans owning cellphones, according to Pew Research Center 2013, indicates a giant data pool of texts, calls localities, etc. that law enforcement can access. Nathan Wessler, attorney with the Speech, Privacy and Technology Project for Please see page 2
Pet owner tips for the July 4th holiday The Fourth of July can be a frightening time for animals, with the loud sounds of firecrackers and fireworks often sending pets scurrying out of the house or yard in search of security or shelter. Long Beach Animal Care Services reminds all animal owners that they can save themselves and their pets a tremendous amount of heartache and anxiety by following a few simple suggestions: Keep pets indoors, if possible, or confined to a secure area (never tether an animal because it can lead to more harm or an accidental death) Double check yard gates to make sure that pets cannot escape
Make certain pets are wearing identification, including the name and current telephone number of owner Anyone who loses an animal in the City of Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Signal Hill or Cerritos should visit www.petharbor.com or the City’s pet lost and found online atwww.longbeach. gov/acs. If one does not see their pet online, please visit the local shelter in person on Saturday, July 5, 2014, between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. The shelter is located at 7700 E. Spring St., between Studebaker Road and the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway. Taking special care of your
4th of July safe celebration reminder With the 4th of July holiday fast approaching, the Long Beach Police and Fire Departments would like to remind residents and visitors that all fireworks, including those marked “Safe and Sane,” are illegal in the City of Long Beach. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): •Thousands, mostly children and teenagers, are injured using consumer fireworks •Each year, fireworks cause fires to structures, vehicles, and property •In 2012, over half of the country’s fireworks related emergency room visits were for injured extremities; over one third were for head injuries •The national risk for fireworks related injuries is highest for those aged 15-24, followed by those under the age of 10 The Police and Fire Departments will be out in force the days leading up to and on July 4th to ensure compliance of the Long Beach City Ordinance that bans fireworks. Although both Departments seek voluntary compliance to ensure public safety, this duty often requires strict enforcement of all laws through arrest and citations. Anyone cited or arrested for fireworks violations may be faced with a $1,000 fine, sentenced to jail for six months, or both. The fines and penalties may increase depending on the fireworks’ classification. Fireworks may be voluntarily disposed of at collection bins located at Lifeguard Head-
-Photo by Terry Miller
information about an arrest can travel quickly, as Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor, adds in a Reuters article. According to the same article, “Justice Department spokeswoman Ellen Canale said the government would ensure federal law enforcement agents complied with the ruling.” As it has been discovered, local and state police agencies have been tracking our mobile devices with increasingly ad-
VOLUME 1, NO. 9