NCJ Number
195405
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 69 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2002 Pages: 50,52-54,55
Date Published
June 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the rationale for and the implementation of the Federal Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).
Abstract
Although telecommunications carriers have been required since 1970 to cooperate with law enforcement personnel in conducting lawfully authorized electronic surveillance, CALEA for the first time requires telecommunications carriers to modify the design of their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that lawfully authorized electronic surveillance can actually be performed. The FBI created the CALEA Implementation Section (CIS), which works with the telecommunication industry and the law enforcement community to facilitate effective industrywide implementation of CALEA. In early 1995 an ad hoc group sponsored by the Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA) began working to develop an industry standard that would satisfy the assistance capability requirements of CALEA for wireline local exchange, cellular, and broadband PCS services, i.e., the primary participants in the public switched telephone network. On December 5, 1997, TIA announced the adoption and joint publication of an official interim industry technical standard. This standard defines the services and features necessary to support lawfully authorized electronic surveillance and the interfaces used to deliver intercepted communications and call-identifying information to law enforcement. This standard was met with some disfavor by both law enforcement and privacy organizations. This article reviews these objections and poses some scenarios in which the standard would not facilitate the meeting of law enforcement surveillance needs. The CIS is currently working with industry to implement CALEA in ways that serve law enforcement interests. To facilitate industry cooperation, the CIS is reimbursing certain eligible carriers for deploying switch software solutions. Without reimbursement, carriers will not act, and law enforcement's ability to conduct vital electronic surveillance of criminal and terrorist organizations will be degraded and, in some cases, negated. 6 notes