Cell phone location tracking to solve a crime?

by juhansonin

I have a bet with my Dad – can police or other agencies use cell phone companies records to solve a crime. for example, can they pinpoint what cell phone was in a particular location at a specific time?

Thank You!
But they would have to know which cell phone they’re looking for right? Say a theft took place at 123 main st on feb 12 at 1:00 am — can law enforcement get a record of all cell phones who were in that area at that time and then use those people as suspects?

Answer by Amy
Yes, to a certain degree. Each time a cell phone is used, it pings off a tower. Now that can narrow it down as to the general area that that specific tower services, but it can’t really pinpoint an exact location.

Answer by Texas Star
Absolutely. We recently got court orders and located two suspects that had been on the run for over a year.

And I’ll leave it at that.

EDIT- As to the second part of your question, NO. The officers can’t do that. There would be no way.

Answer by Roger M
They can tell what cell tower it was using, so they can get within about a mile.

New phones with GPS can be located within a foor ot 2.

Answer by Woody
Yes. But the phone has to be turned on for this to work. Every time you call 911 it tracks you in a area of about 10fr. We just use this in reverse if we need to track you.

Add your own answer in the comments!

I am here


Image by juhansonin
Well, at least my phone is here.

Picked up a new 3GS w/MobileMe after my 3G was swiped at the Mobile Health conference in DC. Ironic moment.

The replacement cost was astronomical… so I’m trying out the MobileMe locater for fun (knowing one can hack the phone to block MobileMe wiping and tracking).

The phone is an LG Neon. the Neon is not a smart phone and doesn’t have GPS. I have not downloaded any application for the Neon. I have seen two people with iPhones be able to take my phone number and show me my location shown on a map on their screen. How are they doing that?

Answer by Law
I am going to say that your phone is not an android os and I pretty sure its not… and that it does not have google “latitude”..

So both people who had the IPHONE just pulled a prank on you that we can do with Androids.

There is an app that you can download that will actually show the person with the phones location, of course assuming your standing next to them for you to see it. There are 3 or 4 apps like this on android and I am sure more on IPHONE…

Answer by A
They showed you their phones location not yours.

The cell providers and police can get the location of any cell phone to within a few hundred yards* but that requires either a warrant or you to dial 911.

*accuracy depends a lot on the location, the more cell towers in the area the better the location. Often the location is very accurate but some times it’s off by a mile or two so you can never fully trust it.

What do you think? Answer below!
The Tracking Device We’ve All Embraced: Our Phones
I thought it was safe to say that everyone knows by now that one thing their smartphones are smart about is their location. But the New York Times doesn’t agree. A piece this weekend on what our GPS-enabled smartphones know about us was headlined, “It's Tracking Your Every Move and You May Not Even Know.”
Read more on Forbes