Dear Senator;

I would very much like to share with you my concern regarding several portions of the bill H.R. 275, Efffective Anti-Terrorism Tools For Law Enforcement Act of 1997.

First of all, I'm extremely concerned over the issue of "Emergency, 48-hr." wiretap interceptions without a valid warrant. I realize that after interception has taken place, if the court should decide not to grant the warrant, the information that was intercepted is not admissible in a court of law. However, when I asked one law enforcement officer about this, he told me that it was VERY likely that if they, the intercepting officers, did not intercept information that they wanted to use in court, the court would not ever know they did it.

There are serious questions to be considered in light of this officer's statement. Right away I have to wonder if this means that law enforcement officers will conduct all the wiretaps they want without a warrant.... until they happen upon information that they want to use in court? Then, they will approach the court with an application. Just think of all the taps that could be implimented without a warrant. The court would never know about them either... no one would, other than the officers themselves.

I'm sure that you already know this, but most of the time police officers only need to know what, where and when an alleged crime is going to happen so they can be there to make the bust. I'm all for busting the bad guys, but not at the expense of individual privacy.

Second, I'm extremely concerned over the issue of "Roving, Multi-Point Wiretap" technology. The Justice Dept. has gone on record saying that this technology will enable them to intercept telephone calls belonging to known criminals--no matter where they are.

There are two items of interest that make this plan, as presented, seem unreasonable. First, to make this happen, law enforcement would have to possess the digitized voice (print) templates of all known criminals, which they are not likely to have. Second, in order to intercept someone's telephone call, no matter where they are, they would have to simultaneously monitor thousands upon thousands of telephone calls coming and going from a digital telephone switch.

This feat can only be accomplished using high-speed computers. A well known law enforcement Technologist, a police officer himself, has already gone on record saying that given the level of computer technology today, this type of surveillance technology will someday include conversation searches according to WORDS and PHRASES.

Besides being morally and ethically wrong, this surveillance tactic would endanger business owners and others who do have industrial secrets to hide. My father always asked me "if you don't have anything to hide, why worry about it?" Well, this kind of technology has never before existed. Not even Hitler's Nazi regime had a surveillance tool as intrusive as this one.

I trust and I pray that you and other legislators in Congress will vote "no" when this bill comes before the assembly. And, thank you very much for taking the time to read my lengthy letter.

Best Regards,

Allan B. Colombo

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