Location Transport

Can the police find the location of a cell phone if the burglar uses it after it was stolen?

I was mugged (San Francisco, who knew), and amongst other items, my cell phone was stolen, the cell phone is a Motorola V323i, which if anybody researches, is a fairly new model. I currently have the feature for 911 to locate me if I dial 911, and with that I would like to assume that there is a GPS chip in the phone. I have unlimited minutes and texting so im not worried about them using it, and I would like for them to use it if the police can track it down, but nobody, not the police, or the cell phone company can seem to give me an actual answer to this question. I would prefer that there be internet sources and direct answers, no maybe answers please. NO maybe answers. There was a gun threat involved in this mugging. This whole thing is not about getting the phone back. This is about catching these felons who brought a gun to someone's head and who if have a gun and use it as a threat to someone's life in a mugging incident are likely capable of alot worse. I would rather be inconvenienced with a phone for a little while, then run away from all this get a new phone and forget about it. I WANT THESE PEOPLE CAUGHT SO THEY DONT INVOLVE A GUN IN ANOTHER CRIME AGAIN. Their potential of murder is unknown, and I would rather not play with the idea that they could do it to someone else and go all the way.

Public Comments

1. onlyif the phone has GPS on it, global postioning system i think is what is stand for.
2. I think you they might be able to I am not really sure
3. It depends on who made the phone and what was on or off in it. Different phones vary.
4. If it has GPS then in most cases im sure they can
5. I lost my cell phone 2 years ago, and the cell phone company was able to tell me that my phone was in a 3 mile radius of a certain tower. Have you asked the company if they can tell you which vicinity the phone is in by the closest tower?
6. Maybe if you text the phone it will send a ping or something. I remember hearing about how a family was lost in the snow and they were found by someone texting the phone and the cell towers triangulated the signal to find the family. I don't really think they'll take the time for something like this though. Good Luck
7. Yes, the phone company can trace it and tell the police
8. Yes, they can, but I'll tell you right now they won't waste resources to locate a cell phone....it's considered a disposable item.
9. If it is being used, it is possible to narrow down the area by detecting which cell phone tower the signals are bouncing off.
10. The police can do it. I work with a security company that charges $600 a day for the service.
11. this site says they can and for free so best of luck www.sat-gps-locate.com
12. I don't know about the USA, but in Australia, the phone can be tracked using its IMEI number. The whereabouts may not be available to the exact point, but the call made can be traced to the nearest base station. Also, Telstra in Australia can actually trace the received calls and police can track the thief from there, although like in Australia, I don't think the US cops would worry too much about a stolen cell phone.
13. If the phone is turned on, it does not even haave to make a call to track it. Cell phones are equipped with an ESN (electronic serial number). The company servicing the phone can send out a tracking signal to "ping" the ESN and it will report the location within a few square blocks by monitoring which tower receives signal back from the phone. This is often the case in locating missing people. If the phone is off, or if it is out of the service provider's network, it cannot be traced.