# cell phone location tracking



## Scott William Woods (Jan 18, 2012)

Hi guys,

This is a background question for a novel, which takes place in Boston, Nantucket, and Nashua in 1999. I'm hoping that David Randall, the psychiatrist hero who's innocent but on the lam anyway, could take the battery out of his cell phone and thus avoid being tracked.

Does anyone know for sure whether cell phone locations could be tracked by law enforcement in 1999? Would it matter what kind of cell, and if so what kinds were trackable and what kinds not? Would taking out the battery ensure that a trackable phone could then not be tracked?

Thanks so much!

Scott Woods
http:www.scottwilliamwoods.com


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## Pvt. Cowboy (Jan 26, 2005)

Stiffler?


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

Ok I will answer that. 

Yes they could be tracked. No, not the same way they are tracked today. What else do you need? I'll charge a consultation fee. 


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## Scott William Woods (Jan 18, 2012)

263FPD said:


> Ok I will answer that.
> 
> Yes they could be tracked. No, not the same way they are tracked today. What else do you need? I'll charge a consultation fee.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Just a poor wannabe unpublished novelist. So...how about a free autographed copy when and if? Then after it makes more money than the Da Vinci Code we could renegotiate...


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## cc3915 (Mar 26, 2004)

Mr. Woods, Wouldn't this question be better answered by a wireless provider?


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

Is this you, Scott?

http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-61739-675-5

http://bookstore.abbottpress.com/Products/SKU-000549201/SLIPPING-AWAY.aspx

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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

I doubt you will top Da Vinci Code, but who knows. 


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## HistoryHound (Aug 30, 2008)

Apparently Masscops is his top research team.

http://masscops.com/threads/warrant-of-arrest.103935/#post-651578


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## Scott William Woods (Jan 18, 2012)

cc3915 said:


> Mr. Woods, Wouldn't this question be better answered by a wireless provider?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Good idea, thanks.


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## Scott William Woods (Jan 18, 2012)

263FPD said:


> Is this you, Scott?
> 
> http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-61739-675-5
> 
> ...


Nope, not me, same name except for the s on the end of mine. Didn't know about him...


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

Scott William Woods said:


> Nope, not me, same name except for the s on the end of mine. Didn't know about him...


Then who the F are you?

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## niteowl1970 (Jul 7, 2009)

Scott William Woods said:


> Nope, not me, same name except for the s on the end of mine. Didn't know about him...


The major carriers would be a better source to answer your question.


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## Scott William Woods (Jan 18, 2012)

263FPD said:


> Then who the F are you?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


My website is here: http://www.scottwilliamwoods.com


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## Johnny Law (Aug 8, 2008)

I'm just thrilled there is a writer out there who is trying to do things accurately.


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## cc3915 (Mar 26, 2004)

We could use a resident psychiatrist here.



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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

Scott, I sent you a private message. You either ow how to check and respond?


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## Scott William Woods (Jan 18, 2012)

I had the impression that law enforcement was able to access cell phone location info that private citizens could not. A few years ago I lost my own cell phone, and my service provide knew where it was, but they wouldn't tell me--me, the owner of the phone--because of privacy concerns. So I can try Verizon, but I thought I might learn more from law enforcement. So far on this book the director of security for the Steamship Authority and an agent with Bermuda immigration have helped a lot. 

I have a character inspired by Gregory Mcdonald's Boston PD Inspector Flynn (yes, I know BPD has not had inspectors for 50 years), if anybody remembers. Mcdonald wrote the Fletch mystery novels. Flynn was not in the movie.


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

Read your private message. 


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## cc3915 (Mar 26, 2004)

That director of security from the Steamship Authority is retired FBI. He should know all about tapping and locating cell phones.


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