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Troy approves GrayKey forensic software contract; police say tool used only with warrants
Summary
Council approved a one-year $44,627.30 GrayKey contract to enable in-house phone-forensic unlocking for the Troy Police Department; Chief Joshua Jones said use would follow search warrants and evidence rules, while council members questioned data governance and funding source (drug forfeiture fund).
Troy City Council approved a one-year contract for GrayKey mobile-device forensic software on July 27 after questions about how the tool is used and governed.
Chief Joshua Jones said GrayKey is a specialized software tool that can unlock password-protected devices and that it ‘‘remains the only tool capable of accessing data on the most current iOS versions’’ in many investigations. He stressed that use follows legal process: ‘‘With that granted, we can use this tool to unlock a phone that had a passcode to it,’’ meaning GrayKey would be used subsequent to a judge-issued search warrant, and extracted data would then be processed and handled under rules of evidence and search-and-seizure law.
The one-year contract cost is $44,627.30; Chief Jones told council the funds are budgeted in the police department drug-forfeiture fund and that the department currently relies on partner agencies for access when needed but increasingly needs in-house capability for routine cases. Council members asked about data governance, whether GrayKey stores data, training requirements (two current in-house examiners with plans to train another), and the annual nature of the contract. After discussion, Mayor Pro Tem Chanda moved the bid waiver; council approved the purchase on a unanimous roll-call vote of those present.
Chief Jones said the tool does not replace legal safeguards: warrants and evidence rules still apply, and GrayKey is one part of a broader digital-forensics workflow.
