Local News - AM 1220 

February 17, 2009 — Cornwall's Police Chief says proposed new laws that would let police eavesdrop on the internet is a step closer to allowing law enforcement to keep pace with technology. The federal government is looking at legislation that would allow officers to monitor private online communication. Under the proposed bill, police would first have to get court approval before they could keep an eye on internet exchanges like e-mails and chat. Chief Dan Parkinson tells AM 1220 News criminals often beat police in the technology race. (Hear audio clip below) The current legislation was written before text messages, Facebook and voice-over-Internet phone lines were invented. 

[Transcript of audio clip:  It certainly puts them in an advantageous position when they have the wealth to go out and purchase the newest thing that’s out there and to use it for criminal purposes - we always have to try to adjust our budgets to try to get  the equipment.     It’s almost like an arms race where they step one ahead, you know they have  one step ahead of us and we try to keep up  and sometimes they get three steps ahead of us, and, it’s a very expensive business]