ISP Captain testified in Congress about electronics privacy

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – One of the most controversial debates of our time: the balance between our right to privacy when we use our electronic devices and law enforcement’s need to access that private information when it comes to protecting our own safety or investigating crimes.

This controversial topic came up recently when the government wanted Apple to give them the key to hack into iPhones so they could retrieve information from the locked phone of the San Bernadino shooter.

There are many different views on this topic, but to get the law enforcement perspective, 24-Hour News 8 spoke with Captain Chuck Cohen from the Indiana State Police.

Cohen recently returned from testifying in front of the House of Representatives on this very topic.

Here are some of the questions he answers in the video:

• In your testimony you say there is no worse impediment in your work than encrypted messages. Can you talk a little about that?
• You sent a strong message, basically saying that current encrypted technology prevents you from doing your job. You mentioned there are phones sitting in the State Police crime lab that you can’t access. How many? And how big of a problem is that?
• It sounds like you want Congress to enact legislation that would force technology companies to comply with a warrant. Some might say that creates a slippery slope for privacy, what do you say?