NCJ Number
158116
Journal
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (1995) Pages: 137-153
Date Published
1995
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The use of cellular telephones in drug dealing is examined, with emphasis on the research needed to identify feasible controls on such usage.
Abstract
Both the number of telephones and technological advances that have made telephoning more convenient have increased the role of the telephone in crime. However, detailed information about the role of telephones in drug dealing is not available. Although many communities have tried to make public phones less convenient to use in drug dealing, little attention has focused on impeding the use of beepers and mobile phones. These devices, particularly cloned telephones, appear to provide drug dealers with highly convenient forms of communication with few risks of arrest. Research is needed on the use of these phones and the means by which dealers acquire them. Also needed are evaluations of measures directed against public phones and studies of the mechanics of cloning. In addition, the task of finding ways to impede cloning cannot be left to the manufacturers and suppliers of mobile telephones alone, because effective countermeasures require detailed information about illegal uses. A partnership among technology experts, law enforcement, and ethnographers is needed to conduct this research. Footnotes and 36 references