Suicide Crisis Center Cell phone Tracking

The Suicide Crisis center where I volunteer recently tried, without
success, to have the location of a cell phone caller tracked.

We were told a number of things by both the Boston Police and Sprint
(the caller had a Sprint phone) and I am wondering how much of what we were
told is in fact true.

1. Is it true that the GPS-A tracking capabilities of a cell phone can
only be used if the cell phone is used to call 911?
With landline phones, it has been possible in the most desperate cases for
use to tell the telephone company the time
at which an incoming came into our call center and have them trace the call
back to its location, even if the call is no longer in progress. In
emergency situations, they would then pass this location information to the
police.

We had hoped that it might be possible to have a similar arrangement with
phase II cell phones using GPS-A. In other words, we thought that in a
crisis we would be able to contact either the police or cell
company and have them interrogate the cell phone to learn its location. So
again, the question is whether or not the phone company can enable gps-a on
a phase II
phone and determine its position if that phone has not called 911.

also, if such a phone has been used to call 911, is the location information
automatically recorded for any such calls?

Thank you for considering these questions...

paraxial

xx wrote:
> The Suicide Crisis center where I volunteer recently tried, without
> success, to have the location of a cell phone caller tracked.
>
> We were told a number of things by both the Boston Police and Sprint
> (the caller had a Sprint phone) and I am wondering how much of what we were
> told is in fact true.
>
> 1. Is it true that the GPS-A tracking capabilities of a cell phone can
> only be used if the cell phone is used to call 911?

Yes, if the customer sets their phone to only send location info on 911. The
options are either that, or have it on all the time. My Samsung A660 has both
settings, and the old LG 5350 I am using right now also has both settings. My
GPS-enabled Kyocera 2325, used on Verizon, also had a similar setting.

I generally set my phones to "send GPS on a 911 call only" for privacy reasons.

The other major issue: All of the phones sold within the last year or two
transmit GPS info, but the cell towers and PSAP/911 call centers must also be
equipped to handle the information.

> With landline phones, it has been possible in the most desperate cases for
> use to tell the telephone company the time
> at which an incoming came into our call center and have them trace the call
> back to its location, even if the call is no longer in progress. In
> emergency situations, they would then pass this location information to the
> police.

It's a lot easier with a landline, which is stationary, than with a cell phone.

> also, if such a phone has been used to call 911, is the location information
> automatically recorded for any such calls?

That, I don't know.

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