The La Crosse Police Department is looking for help to locate a missing person.
Family and law enforcement are concerned for the safety of Jennifer L. Peterson, 37, who hasn’t been heard from since Sept. 27. She was residing in La Crosse at the time.
Police report that Peterson mentioned relocating and has a history of living in several counties in Wisconsin and throughout the country.
Peterson is described at 5’5”, 150 pounds, brown hair that’s possibly dyed blonde and blue eyes with glasses.
Police didn’t list a vehicle she might be driving.
Anyone with information about Peterson’s whereabouts is urged to call the police department at 608-782-7575.
Police around the country are using a powerful but relatively inexpensive cellphone tracking tool to solve crimes. And in some cases, they have used it to track people without a search warrant. All mobile devices are assigned what's called an advertising identification number, a unique code that allows apps with location services to target consumers with promotions. For as little as $7,500 a year, Virginia-based Fog Data Science offers a service called Fog Reveal that uses that ad-ID to track a device's wanderings, when location services are enabled. Documents reviewed by The Associated Press show that Fog heavily markets its product to law enforcement. The company promotes what it calls a "pattern of life" analysis, which can stretch back months. Public records specialist Bennett Cyphers, an advisor with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, calls Fog Reveal "sort of a mass surveillance program on a budget." He and others believe police use of the platform without a warrant is a violation of people's Fourth Amendment rights. In a written response to The Associated Press, Fog said it cannot disclose information about its customers. The company said it does not access or have anything to do with personally identifiable information and is leveraging commercially available data. Arkansas prosecutor Kevin Metcalf says Fog simply uses data that people give away for free, and that it is most useful in cases where time is of the essence. Metcalf also leads the National Child Protection Task Force, a nonprofit that combats child exploitation and trafficking. Metcalf says Fog, which is listed as a task force sponsor, has been invaluable to cracking missing children cases and homicides. Metcalf also shared his Fog account in the 2020 search for a missing nurse. Documents reviewed by AP show it has been used by agencies as diverse as the U.S. Marshals and a sheriff's department in a North Carolina county with just 91,000 residents.
IN PHOTOS: Rotary Lights 2022
Rotary Lights visitors walk through a light tunnel in the south section of Riverside Park. Rotary Lights runs through New Years Eve.
Carolers
Holiday train
Igloo and Christmas trees
While this illuminated horse and buggy aren't going anywhere fast, carriage rides are available on select nights at Rotary Lights.
The entrance marquee greets visitors to the 28th annual Rotary Lights display in Riverside Park.
While snow might be sparse on the ground, lights create an impressive snowman.
Sisters, Kiersten Bruns, left, and Alexis Bruns roast marshmallows for s'mores at one of the fire pits.
A dusting of snow graces Rotary Lights.
A fire-breathing dragon adds some fantasy flair to this year's Rotary Lights lineup.
Reindeer and sleigh
Light tunnel
American flag and helicopter
Rotary Lights Reindeer
The Amara Rose Foundation has a tree at Rotary Lights in La Crosse that honors those lost to addiction. In that spirit, the foundation filled a box with ornaments. People who have lost a loved one to addiction are invited to write the name of their loved one on an ornament and hang it on the tree in memoriam. In just eight days, 40 ornaments were hung by grieving family and friends. "This makes an impactful statement about what's going on in our community," said Heidi Overson, one of the foundation's founders. "We are expecting at least 100 ornaments to be hung on the tree by Dec. 31. One person said it was healing to hang their ornament. Some shed tears. Others hang the ornament and take a photo of the tree afterward." Anyone who's lost a loved one to addiction is welcome to hang an ornament and/or a photo on the foundation's tree.
Rotary Lights at Winnebago Park wish passers-by a Merry Christmas.
An elephant sprays itself with water as part of the Rotary Lights decorations at Riverside Park.
