BV Bloodhound can detect cell phones in prisons
Handheld device, BV Bloodhound, can detect cell phone use in prisons.
Berkley Variatronics has reduced the hardware necessary for mobile cell phone detection from a fixed radio system to a two-pound, hand-held device. The special detector is ideal for areas that have bans on wireless communications, such as high security zones and prisons.
The BV Bloodhound features a screen, a few operations buttons and an omni-directional antenna. It can pick up signals from PCS, GSM and CDMA cellular bands, even if the phone is only turned on but not in use. Signal strength is noted through both visual and aural alerts. The equipment is powered by a battery that can last 4-5 hours.
Illicit cell phone use in Texas prisons continues to be an issue, with prisoners conducting criminal activities from with jail cells. In Ocrober 2008 a Texas death-row inmate used a smuggled cell phone threaten the life of Texas State Sen. John Whitmire.
The Bloodhound is currently undergoing field tests. It is expected to be widely available in January 2010, at a cost of less than $2,000.
