Cell Phones in Cells Detected by BVS Product

Berkeley Varitronics (News - Alert) Systems, which sells wireless products and products to the domestic and international wireless telecommunications industry, has announced the release of a hand-held cell phone detector -- fittingly -- called the Bloodhound (News - Alert).


And why is it called the Bloodhound, we hear you ask: Friends, this will enable security officers to 'scan real-time for unauthorized cell phone activity in correctional facilities and detect the precise location of the caller using a Direction Finding Antenna.'

Talk about 'cell' phones.

Evidently 'more and more contraband cell phones are being smuggled into correctional facilities in order to conduct criminal activity,' according to Texas State Senator John Whitmire. He should know: He received threatening calls from a death row inmate with a cell phone.

Here's just what we know about the problem: In 2008 correctional officers confiscated 847 contraband cell phones in Maryland prisons, 2,809 cell phones in California prisons and 1,861 cell phones in Mississippi prisons. Federal prison officers found 1,623 cell phones. Those are just the ones we know about.

The FCC (News - Alert) has been petitioned to allow cell phone jamming, BVS says. However, according to Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA – The Wireless Association, and a Hall of Fame former wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, cell phone jamming will not fully address the growing problem.

Largent instead proposes a cell detector technology to let security officers locate a cell phone inside a correctional facility 'without interfering with citizens' or public safety communications.'

BVS would like to offer just such a product: The Bloodhound is designed to track down and pinpoint contraband cell phones without interfering with authorized communication channels: 'Unlike most systems that require an entire network infrastructure of wireless sensors hard-wired throughout a facility, which is expensive and difficult to deploy, the mobile Bloodhound has a high speed scanning multi-band receiver harnessed to a DF-Direction Finding Antenna.'

This antenna lets security officers sniff out the RF energy, and the device's algorithm can trigger on to a cell phone while in use. An onboard pulsating laser will ID the target with a blinking laser dot while in the DF mode.

In July TMC's (News - Alert) Jyothi Shanbhag reported that Berkeley Varitronics Systems announced it had added Giga Electronics to their International Sales Team. Giga Electronics will be acting as an exclusive and authorized Bulgarian Distributor for the entire Wireless Product Line of BVS.