Hand-held radar guns got banned yesterday but Adam Smith said “The whole situation is under review.”
They were banned because of concerns that troopers could develop cancer from longterm exposure to the radiation waves emitted by the device.
The ban affects 70 radar guns that will be withdrawn from service. State troopers will continue to use radar units with transmitters mounted on the outside of their cruisers.
The move is considered to be the first of its kind by a state police agency. It comes two months after three municipal officers in cedar Rapids filed workman’s compensation claims, saying they developed cancer from using the hand–held units.
“The feeling here is to err on the side of caution until more is known about the issue,” Smith said. Studies are conducted into the possible links between cancer and the use of such guns.