The Digital Guardian: Chatrie v. United States and the Future of Digital Policing

Technology is transforming policing faster than policy, training, and case law can keep pace. In this episode of the Guardian Mindset Podcast, Attorney Eric Daigle examines the Supreme Court’s 2026 decision in Chatrie v. United States and what it means for geofence warrants, digital evidence, and the Fourth Amendment. The case began with a 2019 credit union robbery in Midlothian, Virginia. With no identified suspect, investigators obtained a geofence warrant requiring Google to provide location information for cell phones near the credit union around the time of the crime. That process ultimately helped identify Okello Chatrie. The Supreme Court held that law enforcement conducts a Fourth Amendment search when it obtains a person’s Google Location History because individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their cell-phone location information. The Court did not decide whether the geofence warrant itself was constitutional, instead sending the case back to the lower court to examine probable cause, particularity, and the reasonableness of each step. Eric explores how modern investigations have shifted from suspect-first to data-first approaches, combining tools such as automated license plate readers, artificial intelligence, drones, Bluetooth identifiers, body-worn cameras, and real-time crime centers. These technologies offer extraordinary investigative value, but their legitimacy depends on strong leadership and responsible governance. The episode outlines four essential pillars for managing emerging technology: policy, training, supervision, and accountability. It also explains why transparency, auditing, explainability, and community engagement are critical to maintaining public trust. Technology should strengthen constitutional policing, not replace it. The future of law enforcement will not be determined by the tools agencies possess, but by the principles and leadership guiding how those tools are used. Learn more about the DLG Technology Summit, taking place virtually August 12–14, 2026, at DLGTechnologySummit.com.