Iowa Highway patrol ordered ban of hand-held radar guns

Yesterday in Des Moines, the Iowa Highway Patrol ordered a ban of hand-held radar guns because of cancer development concerns.

Three municipal officers in Cedar Rapids filed workman’s compensation claims, saying they developed cancer from using the hand-held units. The longterm exposure to the radiation waves emitted by the devices could be the potential cause.

“The feeling here is to err on the side of caution until more is known about the issue,” says spokesman Adam Smith. “The whole situation is under review.”

The order is a precaution while studies are being conducted into the possible links between cancer and the use of such guns.

The ban affects 70 radar guns that will be withdrawn from service while troopers will still use radar units mounted on the outside of their cruisers. This move is considered to be the first of its kind by a state police agency.