Legislature(1995 - 1996)
1996-01-19 Senate Journal
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Full Journal pdf1996-01-19 Senate Journal Page 2178 SB 227 An Act relating to an exemption to the unauthorized publication or use of communications and the prohibition against eavesdropping for certain law enforcement activities. was read the first time and referred to the Labor and Commerce and Judiciary Committees. Zero fiscal notes published today from Department of Public Safety, Department of Law, Department of Administration (2), Department of Corrections, Department of Commerce and Economic Development. Governors transmittal letter dated January 19: Dear President Pearce: Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I am transmitting a bill that amends statutes regarding the unauthorized publication or use of communications and eavesdropping, in order to allow law enforcement officers to intercept communications in certain emergency situations. Current law prohibits surreptitious eavesdropping on a private conversation without the consent of one of the parties to the conversation. In an emergency (for example, where a suspect is barricaded with a hostage), law enforcement officers need to communicate with the suspect and, if possible, monitor the suspect's communications with others. Monitoring such communications can give valuable information to law enforcement officers to help defuse potentially dangerous situations. This bill provides the exemption necessary for law enforcement officers to surreptitiously monitor these communications. It allows the interception of communications of a suspect barricaded and refusing to surrender, holding a victim hostage, or threatening the imminent illegal use of an explosive. The exemption in the bill is limited to serious police emergencies; it will not otherwise affect the privacy of individual Alaskans.