ANAHEIM – The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a lawsuit, alleging the Anaheim Police Department and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department violated the state’s Public Records Act by failing to release documents about their use of cellphone surveillance equipment known as StingRays.

The lawsuits filed with the Orange County and Sacramento County Superior Courts allege both law enforcement departments refused to hand over funding requests, data-sharing policies, judicial authorizations or contracts with the manufacturers of the devices, which are capable of intercepting phone calls and text messages.

The ACLU raised privacy concerns about StingRays, which allow police officers to track a suspect’s cellphone while also picking up information transmitted from other cellphones within a “significant range.”

“StingRays are capable of invading the privacy of innocent Americans, so the public must be able to monitor how law enforcement agencies use them,” ACLU attorney Peter Bibring said. “The police cannot adopt a new, invasive surveillance technology without any kind of public oversight or accountability.”

Anaheim police declined to comment.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department did not respond to a request for comment.

In Anaheim’s case, the ACLU said police officials cited trade-secret privilege when turning down the public records request.

Sacramento County sheriff’s officials initially turned down the records request, but later handed over redacted documents, citing the Homeland Security Act and the Arms Export Control Act as its reason for withholding information.