Several years ago, a friend of mine was in a relationship with the daughter of an Iowa State Trooper. The father, who was quite amiable, often welcomed guests into his home, possibly aiming to influence young minds. During one of our visits, he shared some valuable insight he had gained from his experience in law enforcement. He mentioned that every criminal he had come across exhibited three common personality traits, though in varying degrees. These traits were: Greedy, mean, and stupid.
However, not all criminals are entirely lacking in intelligence. Some are clever enough to utilize technology to assist them in their unlawful activities. This trend is particularly troubling given the significant increase in the use of signal jammers manufactured in China to hinder individuals from seeking help.
According to a recent warning from the Department of Homeland Security, there has been an alarming 830% rise in the confiscation of Chinese-made signal jammers by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection since 2021. This surge poses a serious threat to the effectiveness of law enforcement operations.
DHS issued the warning to law enforcement saying the increased amount of signal jammers being smuggled into the U.S. poses “a threat to public safety and civilian aviation.” CBP “has seen a roughly 830% increase in seizures since 2021, despite Chinese companies’ attempts to subvert inspection,” it said.
830 percent! That’s a lot of new jammers. Consider what this means for the crooks, in that the use of a jammer could prevent victims from calling the police.
Signal jammers are often used “to disrupt a range of radio frequency channels, and pose a threat to emergency response, law enforcement and critical infrastructure,” the warning states.
Signal jammers are being used by a new organized theft ring that emerged under the Biden administration, South American Theft Groups (SATG). “South American illegal aliens jam calls to local police during home invasions or bank robberies in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia,” DHS said.
If this isn’t a good argument for homeowners arming themselves, then I don’t know what is. It’s important to remember, and this is just another illustration of this, that ultimately the responsibility for our security lies not with the government, not with the police, but with us. And no Chinese jammer ever made will interfere with an incoming .45 caliber attitude adjustment.
