Re: Another Cellular Victim

[Phil Karn <karn@qualcomm.com>]

Bear in mind that OJ himself placed a call to 911.  You sort of expect
to lose some of your privacy when you do that.

As everyone knows, when you call 911 from a landline telephone your
phone number and address are automatically displayed on the
dispatcher's console. As strongly pro-privacy as I am, I'd find it
hard to argue against this particular feature. If I called 911 in an
emergency, I'd *want* my address to show up. Especially if I was too
panicked or sick or whatever to give it over the phone.

What I don't know, and am trying to find out, is whether there are any
comparable features in the LA/Orange cellular and 911 systems that
would have displayed the caller's cell site to the 911 dispatcher, or
whether some ad-hoc telephone company help was required.

But however it was done, it worked. This does tend to undermine the
FBI's claim that they can't catch crooks using cell phone systems...

Phil