Skip to main content

Tracking a Cell Phone: How it Actually Works

We’ve all seen the movies where one law enforcement agency or another tracks a suspect via their cellular phone. Usually, their cell phone location is flashing on a satellite map, giving officers and dispatchers an up-to-date, real-time view of the suspect. The dispatchers typically never have to get a warrant or cite exigent circumstances for cell phone tracking, they simply type in some commands into their terminal interface and the tracking begins. For once, Hollywood got something right.

Sign up for News Alerts

Subscribe to news updates