Yesterday, the East Dakota highway patrol ordered a ban on hand-held radar guns due to the concerns of troopers developing cancer from long-term exposure to radiation.

There are seventy guns being withdrawn from the service. Although many of the radar units are being removed from the service, the highway patrol officers will have radar units mounted on the outside of their cruisers.

“The feeling here is to err on the side of caution until more is known about the issue,” Smith said.

In Central City, Iowa, three municipal officers had filed workman’s compensation claims, saying they developed cancer from using the hand-held units. With this supporting evidence, it may be able to aid the East Dakota highway patrol in their case.