Georgia Human Services $950,000 Chevy

Georgia Department of Human Services spent nearly $1M on a Chevy Traverse, much of the cost was due to the equipment installed in it. Host Greg Bishop talks to The Center Square's Johnny Edwards about the questions around Georgia DHS's budget and whether they have the authority to use the technology they are spending money on. Documents point to the likelihood that the equipment they had installed was a cell-site simulator, a powerful surveillance device used by law enforcement that mimics a cell phone tower to track and tap into cell phones remotely. The department's Special Victims Unit uses the technology to find foster kids who have been or may be in danger of being trafficked. Critics support the goal of protecting foster youth but raise questions about whether a non-law enforcement agency has the authority to use technology like a cell-site simulator, whether they are obtaining warrants, and how this impacts the 4th amendment rights of individuals not involved in the investigation but just in the same general area.