Police say phone company refused to help find missing SoCal child

modbee ^ | 1-10-06

[LouAvul]

CORONA, Calif. (AP) - Police say the Sprint telecommunications company refused to provide information to help locate a toddler who was in his father's SUV when it was stolen.

In response, Riverside County lawmakers on Tuesday will consider a moratorium on permits for new Sprint cellular towers.

"My point is to send the message to the provider that we need to do things differently when a child's life is at risk," said county Supervisor John Tavaglione, who proposed the moratorium. "The bureaucracy and the hoops that everyone has to jump through need to be minimized."

The drama began the morning of Dec. 23, when Jason Cochran buckled his 10-month-old son, Wade, into his car seat and ran into his house near Corona to get his 3-year-old son, Blake. When Cochran came back outside, his beige Lincoln Aviator - and Wade - were gone.

Cochran's cell phone, equipped with a global positioning system, also was in the car.

But Cochran's wife, Stephanie, said a Sprint operator told her the company couldn't give her the coordinates for the Aviator's location. The company told a Riverside County sheriff's detective that it wouldn't release the information without a subpoena and a $25 fee, she said.

Deputies found Wade in the car near his home about two hours later - without getting the cellular data, officials said.

"We would have preferred a smoother, more effective ability to access the information that Sprint possessed," said Tom Freeman, executive officer for the Sheriff's Department. "Time is critical in an investigation where you've had an abduction of a child."

[Phantom Lord]

Don't they know that criminals have a right to privacy!

[Red Badger]

I smell a huge lawsuit..................

[phoenix0468]

Thank goodness the boy was found. As for Sprint, I am sure they could have found a way to comply while the subpoena was being processed, ID10.T$.

[JennysCool]

Damn, there are a lot of idiot "operators" in America.

[NativeNewYorker]

The story says the procedure is for cops to FAX a form to Sprint. This is stupidity beyond belief.

[BikerNYC]

If Spring was unwilling to provide the coordinates to someone claiming to be the telephone owner's wife, perhaps the telephone owner should have talked to the Sprint operator.

Or is the location of a GPS phone the kind of information that not even the owner is entitled to from Sprint without a subpoena?

[Sender]

They only provide your information for free if you're a third-party telemarketer.

[sharkhawk]

The story isn't very clear. Did the police fax the form to Sprint, or was the only contact the phone call from the wife? If Sprint did not receive the request from a police agency I believe they did the right thing. I know I don't want my cell phone company to be able to give out info on my whereabouts just because someone called and said that the phone has been stolen.

[Publius6961]

Or is the location of a GPS phone the kind of information that not even the owner is entitled to from Sprint without a subpoena?

The entire article and subsequent discussion can be reduced to this one sentence.

And not even a hint of the answer...

[Rannug]

After a very long and nonproductive session with Sprint personell yesterday, I ended the "conversation" by saying "at least I am thankful for one thing" The lady asked "what is that" and I replied that "I am thankful for having Verizon and not Sprint."

[Paleo Conservative]

The drama began the morning of Dec. 23, when Jason Cochran buckled his 10-month-old son, Wade, into his car seat and ran into his house near Corona to get his 3-year-old son, Blake. When Cochran came back outside, his beige Lincoln Aviator - and Wade - were gone.

.....

Deputies found Wade in the car near his home about two hours later - without getting the cellular data, officials said.

Sprint is lucky if wasn't July 23. Imagine if that 10 month old boy had been lock in a car four two hours on a hot day?

[Paleo Conservative]

The drama began the morning of Dec. 23, when Jason Cochran buckled his 10-month-old son, Wade, into his car seat and ran into his house near Corona to get his 3-year-old son, Blake. When Cochran came back outside, his beige Lincoln Aviator - and Wade - were gone.

.....

Deputies found Wade in the car near his home about two hours later - without getting the cellular data, officials said.

Sprint is lucky if wasn't July 23. Imagine if that 10 month old boy had been lock in a car for two hours on a hot day?

[steve-b]

The story isn't clear on whether Sprint was given reasonable evidence that, yes, it really was the police requesting the information. If not, then their refusal was quite proper -- do you want your cell phone company to give out your location to any joker who calls them and spins a tale of dire emergency?

[Wolfie]

The article is so unclear on what actually happened, no judgement can be made either way. That won't stop people, though.

[SZonian]

The cell phone companies have procedures in place to protect your account and/or your safety. Passwords, keywords, etc. When I was carjacked I tried to get NEXTEL to locate my phone that was in my truck at the time in hopes that I could get the information to our Sheriff's Dept.

They REFUSED me, the owner of the phone, account, and truck the chance to catch the POS who put a gun to my face. They gave the same story this operator is giving. No warrant, No information. When I asked them to separate any calls made from my phone from the date/time of the carjacking, from my calls they refused that as well.

I told them that was unacceptable and have since switched services. If you have purchased the phone and are paying the bill you have the right to get YOUR information. The cell phone companies don't give a RAT'S A** about you or your loved ones, just keep sending the damn money. If we didn't need them for the mobility, I wouldn't have them.

My $.02
SZ