Police Tracking Cell Phones

Answer 1

Law enforcement agencies across the country are capable of tracking cell phones. In many cases, a warrant is no longer required to do this. To learn how cell phones are tracked, you must know the basics of how cell phones work.

How cell phones work

Cell phones offer mobile use by utilizing bi-directional communication between cell phone towers. Your cell phone needs contact with at least two or more towers. When you make a call, the network analyzes which nearby tower is positioned closest to the caller. Whenever the phone is on, it maintains contact with this network, even if a call is not placed. Phone without batteries installed or turned off do not make contact with the cell towers.

Any type of cell phone is capable of providing positioning information to your service provider; phones are in constant contact with cell towers or satellites anytime they are turned on. Triangulation

The most common method of locating a cell phone is through the use of triangulation. Since phones connect to multiple towers, signal strength is analyzed and the distance from each tower is estimated. The more towers the phone is connected to, the better the estimation. This method can not exactly pinpoint where a phone is, but is accurate enough to narrow it down to an area the size of an average neighborhood.

GPS

Most phones today are now global positioning system (GPS) enabled devices. This is now the preferred way of tracking a cell phone's location. Wireless service providers are required by law to have the capability to estimate position within 328 feet. These devices offer much higher levels of accuracy. In principle, they work on the premise of triangulation. Instead of relying on cell phone towers, these devices receives signals from 12 or more satellites in low-Earth orbit. These phones have software that runs in the background, unknown to the user, that gives the provider accurate readings on the customer's whereabouts. When necessary, this information is relayed to law enforcement officials.

In emergency situations, a warrant is not needed to track a cell phone. There is currently debate as to what constitutes an emergency situation. No matter what style of cell phone you use, it is capable of providing your position to your service provider.

Answer 2

Cell phones that utilize the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) are in constant communications with that network. As a result, you can track the location of GSM cell phones. When the phone is on, the network can determine its location from the signal that the phone emits in order to make or receive phone calls, emails and text messages. Turn your phone off to prevent being tracked from location to location.