On 06/12/17 at approximately 12:30 am, Culver City Police Officers responded to a radio call of a burglary alarm at Bevmo, located at 5634 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City.

Upon arrival, Officers learned that the front window had been smashed, and a likely burglary had occurred.

Additional officers arrived at the scene, and a lengthy pursuit occurred involving multiple CCPD Officers and the suspect vehicle (Dodge minivan; rental vehicle) covering approximately seventeen miles throughout West Los Angeles into LAPD jurisdiction. Three suspects ran from the vehicle following the pursuit, and all three suspects were eventually arrested near the area where the pursuit ended.

One cell phone was recovered from one of the suspects, who helped Investigators identify additional suspects phone numbers involved in the Culver City crime and other burglaries. CCPD Investigators learned that this “crew” of suspects was likely responsible for dozens of burglaries involving Bevmo locations all over the state of California.

Having used CellHawk for the past couple years, CCPD Investigators obtained warrants for more than ten different phone numbers; all of which were believed to be possible conspirators involved in the ongoing burglaries involving Bevmo locations dating back to late 2015. Once phone records were obtained and input into CellHawk, CCPD Investigators were able to confirm the whereabouts of at least one or more of the involved conspirators as having tower hits at or near sixty-four (64) burglaries within seven different states.

“Without the cell phone record data, and the user-friendly platform CellHawk provides, it goes without saying that virtually all of these burglaries would have remained unsolved without CellHawk and its capabilities.”

– Investigator Ryan Thompson, Culver City PD

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BARTONVILLE, TX, October 25, 2019— It’s been nearly a year since one of the deadliest and most destructive fires in modern history hit the United States. The California Camp Fire raged on for 17 days and covered almost 240 sq miles, causing people to flee their homes, and over 1,000 people went missing in the first week. Knowing traditional missing persons investigative techniques would take too long, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Hawk Analytics to pull cellular tower records from four major companies, resulting in over 1 million records that needed processing. This unconventional method would prove to beneficial in reuniting victims with their families.

CEO & Founder of Hawk Analytics, Mike Melson, was personally connected to the disaster. His parents, who lived in Paradise, CA, the hardest-hit community, called to tell him they got out of the fire’s path and were safe. Shocked about the news of the fire and grateful for this family’s safety, he knew others were not so lucky, so he immediately got involved in helping. Mike said, “Hawk Analytics has always been about ‘doing the right thing,’ and we’re always willing to help and make a difference.”

Investigators from Butte County Sheriff’s Office and Hawk Analytics wasted no time getting started finding missing people. Their goal was to find cellular phone numbers of the missing people, find anyone they had communicated with during the fire, and confirm they had gotten out of the fire area safely. Getting this information was a monumental task in coordination with various cellphone companies, and little by little, the information started to pay off.

Using CellHawk, software designed by Hawk Analytics to interpret cellular records, and utilizing special techniques used by both partners, over 3,000 missing people were located and reunited with their loved ones thanks to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office and a little help from Hawk Analytics.

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On January 25, 2016, Michael Phillips was shot and killed in his home in Jonesboro, Georgia.  Matthew Simonds, a detective with the Clayton County Police Department, was assigned the case.  He and his team responded to the scene. There they found Mr. Phillip’s deceased from multiple gunshot injuries.

Multiple interviews took place the days following the homicide where Detective Simonds and his team learned this was the result of a drug deal gone bad.

Witnesses told the detective that a man by the name of “Capone” introduced Mr. Phillips to two other men who wanted to purchase marijuana. They also told investigators that Mr. Phillips was suspicious of the arrangement and called off the deal. However, Capone was seen talking to Mr. Phillips later and reassured him that he vouched for the men’s credibility.

The next day Capone and the same two men arrived at Mr. Phillips house. Witnesses, who were also there, told Detective Simonds that Mr. Phillips, “Capone,” and the two men went into the house supposedly to continue the drug deal from the night prior. They said a short time later they heard several gunshots from within Mr. Phillips home.

A man quickly exited the house carrying a handgun and a duffel bag.  He ran to a car, a white Chrysler 300, got in and sped away from the scene. Capone and a woman who was with him also fled the scene in a separate vehicle. Witnesses ran into the house and found Mr. Phillips lying on the floor with a gunshot wound. He appeared to be dead.

Detectives used digital forensic tools on Mr. Phillips cellphone. They found text messages between him and Capone. They learned that Capone was brokering a drug deal between Mr. Phillips and the suspects. A search warrant issued to the phone carrier for records and subscriber information revealed more information.

The Call Detail Records (CDRs) were imported into CellHawk and revealed all the patterns in communications with everyone involved in the brokering of the drug deal. Detectives were quickly able to identify “Capone” as Tony Hardin, the passenger of the Chrysler as Tywan Porter, and the driver/gunman as Zalon Brown. Other records check revealed Mr. Brown owned a white Chrysler 300.

The CDRs not only showed the communications between the people involved but also could put them near the scene of the homicide at the time it occurred AND in the area the previous night.

Detectives requested arrest warrants for all three men for their participation in Michael Phillips murder.

During the trial, Detective Simonds showed the jury how CellHawk mapped out the CDRs for each suspect.  The Prosecutor presented the CellHawk reports as demonstrative aids during the trial.  The jury ultimately found Zalon Brown guilty of murder, and he received a life sentence.

“CellHawk was an invaluable aid, both for the initial investigation and for the presentation during the trial,” says Detective Simonds.  “It is, without doubt, a tool that is necessary for analyzing phone records in criminal investigations and prosecutions.”

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Fort Myers, FL – Four years after Dr. Teresa Sievers was found deceased in her home, her family has found closure in a multi-trial case. Lee County Sheriff’s Office painted a picture of an inter-state murder-for-hire conspiracy by using Hawk Analytics proprietary software, CellHawk’s ability to quickly analyze tower dump returns. CellHawk exhibits presented during the trials of Mark Sievers and Jimmy Ray Rodgers were key because they provided clear and easy-to-read maps of call detail records.

Dr. Teresa Sievers was found beaten to death in her family home on June 25^th, 2015. With few initial leads, investigators requested a tower dump for the area of the crime. A tower dump is an investigative technique in which all phone numbers that registered on a cell site during a particular date and time are provided to law enforcement via legal process. Armed with intelligence gathered from suspect interviews, investigators identified and ordered tower information for two additional locations of interest – both located in Missouri.

The Sheriff’s office analyst used CellHawk’s Link Analysis feature to compare thousands of records and identified the “burner” (or prepaid phones) that were used to communicate the murder plans. The tower dump records identified Mark Sievers, Dr. Sievers husband, and his best friend Curtis Wright as suspects. It was later discovered that Wright received help from a third suspect, Jimmy Ray Rodgers, who Wright had previously met in prison. Sievers had asked Wright to murder his wife while Sievers was visiting Wright in Missouri on the day of Wrights’ wedding. Sievers explained Teresa wished to get a divorce and he was worried he would lose his two daughters in a custody battle. Mark Sievers took out a five million dollar life insurance policy out on Teresa after that conversation.

 In a follow up search warrant, the call detail records for the prepaid phones were requested and the information was analyzed using CellHawk. CellHawk generated reports and maps that revealed communication between the phones during the short time they were active, which was around the time of the murder. Jurors were shown maps created by CellHawk in the trials that depicted Rodgers’ phone travelling between Missouri and Florida in the days before and in the days after the crime.  Both Rodgers’ phone and Teresa Sievers phone registered on the same cell tower several times during the time investigators say the murder occurred.

A witness in the trials referenced her ongoing education in the field of cellular technology to establish her credibility to testify to the specific cellular analysis in this case. Hawk Analytics, Inc., the creator of CellHawk, offers several avenues for continuing education in the field of cellular technology, HawkTalk, a live and on-demand monthly webinar series, is designed to address the emerging trends in cellular technology to help the community stay informed. The 2019 webinar topics included Google, how to interpret returns from major carriers, best practice for cell phone records in court, and an in depth look at cell site coverage areas. You can participate in these free webinar resources on Support@Hawk. Register HERE to gain access to past webinars, tower dump search warrant templates, call detail record search warrant templates, court cases, and more.

Curtis Wright plead guilty to second degree murder in 2016 and testified against Jimmy Ray Rodgers and Mark Sievers. He received 25 years. Rodgers went to jury trial in Lee County in October of 2019 and was found guilty of second-degree murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12^th, 2019. Mark Sievers was found guilty of first-degree murder on December 5^th, 2019 after four hours of jury deliberation and they recommended the death penalty.

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CellHawk Updates

Hawk Analytics knows your cases don’t always only involve traditional call detail records. Specialized location returns can play a major part in creating a case and enhancing your analysis. That is why we will strive to give you the most up to date autoload capabilities. Less excel work, more casework!

In our newest release you will find:

• Support for Google Location History returns
• Support for Uber Location  returns
• Support for T-Mobile UMTS TrueCall files
• Support for T-Mobile LTE TrueCall files
• Support for T-Mobile GSM Cell Site List (as downloaded from NDCAC)
• Support for T-Mobile UMTS Cell Site List (as downloaded from NDCAC)

All of our users always run the latest version of CellHawk – never any software to update!

Not currently a CellHawk customer? Want to see your files in action? Click HERE to schedule a tutorial and let us help you uncover more leads!

Did You Know?

CellHawk and the Opioid Crisis

Do you have an opioid crisis in your jurisdiction? Do you have overdose victims and are unable to identify their drug sources? Try viewing victims records a new way with CellHawk!

Here’s how it works – Whenever you have an overdose victim, use our preservation letter and search warrant templates found on Support@Hawk to ensure you are getting the most out of your returns. We recommend requesting 60-90 days of records prior to the overdose.  The goal in this sort of investigation is to use call detail records to establish who your victim may have bought their narcotics from.

Once you receive the records, create a case in CellHawk dedicated to overdose victim’s records. As you receive the returns from the carrier, upload them into your case. Using CellHawk’s link analysis tool, you will easily and quickly be able to identify common numbers between your victims, which can serve as the lead that results in the apprehension of drug dealers.

There are several agencies already using CellHawk to fight the crisis in their cities. If you have any questions about using this technique contact our support staff by emailing support@hawkanalytics.com.

If you are not a CellHawk user would like to try this innovative technique for your overdose cases please contact us HERE to get a 30-day free trial.

Education Corner

The Importance of Using a Preservation Letter

Many times in investigations, investigators will ask the providers for specialized reports such as PCMD, RTT, TrueCall, and NELOS. But sometimes the probable cause for a search warrant hasn’t been developed until weeks or months after the crime has been committed. By that time, some of these reports will no longer be available to you. These specialized reports have been key in solving crimes when the normal CDRs did not provide much value. That is why it is extremely important when a suspect phone number has been identified to send the preservation letter to their carrier as soon as possible.

Here are some examples of record retention schedules from the providers:

AT&T NELOS: 90 days

Sprint PCMD (LTE/EVDO): 10 – 14 days

Sprint PCMD (Voice): 90 days

T-Mobile TrueCall: 90 days

US Cellular RTT Data: 3 days

Verizon RTT Data: 5 – 7 days

Verizon SMS Content: 3 – 5 days

Here at CellHawk we make writing a preservation letter written simple! Visit our free resource Support@Hawk and use our phone search tool to query the number you are interested in. We will identify the current carrier of the number for you! To generate the request click on the preservation letter template. A preservation letter will be automatically generated and will have all of the most up to date language to ensure you get the most out of your legal process – you only have to input a start date and end date.

With a few clicks, you have generated a preservation letter for your case and saved valuable data!

Case of the Quarter

 

New User Refresher Training

Are you new to CellHawk or in need of a CellHawk refresher?  Do you want to hear about the latest CellHawk features and news?

Join us for our FREE one-hour training webinar!  We will cover all the features of CellHawk and show it in action with a real-life case study.  Various file formats and new features will also be covered.  Join your colleagues from across the country in this one-hour webinar.  Sharpen your investigative skills or learn new ones.  An opportunity will be provided to ask questions of our staff, and a certificate of completion will be provided.

Click HERE to pick the date and time that works best for you.

Feel free to invite a friend to this! They do not need to be a CellHawk user to attend

 

Upcoming Training

 

Upcoming Events

International Association of Crime Analysts

Newport Beach, CA

September 17th – 21st

International Association of Chiefs of Police

Orlando, FL

October 6th – 9th

Meet a Hawk Member

Our customers are a part of our Hawk family and we feel it’s important you know the people you speak with on a regular basis. We pride ourselves on the high caliber and professionalism of our employees. One of our members is Curtis Summers, our Senior Software Developer.

Curtis attended Baylor University where he earned his degree in Computer Science. During his career, Curtis has spent 20+ years building software solutions for higher education establishments, the oil and gas industry, small businesses, and high-tech startups. He specializes in databases, geospatial/mapping technologies, and web application development.

Currently, Curtis is the primary software developer on our team. He is responsible for the day to day maintenance of CellHawk and ensuring that it is always operating at max ability. With Curtis’ extensive knowledge and expertise, he has been instrumental in the recent updates to the CellHawk software. He is definitely one of our top “brains behind the operation!”

Let’s all say welcome to Mr. Curtis Summers!

 

                                                 

 

CELLHAWK DEMO

To Learn More About CellHawk
EMAIL US
469-373-HAWK (4295)

… forward this email to a friend who should be using CellHawk!

Copyright © | 2017, Hawk Analytics | CellHawk, All Rights Reserved.

Our mailing address is:
2652 FM 407  | Suite 215-E  | Bartonville, TX 76226

 

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CellHawk Updates

Over the past few months, we have updated CellHawk with some new features to save time such as the ability to customize sector display, better compatibility with Verizon files, and much more!

Some of the most recent updates include:

New Dashboard: We have integrated the case manager, agency account information, our popular phone lookup tool, and integrated content from Support@Hawk in our new dashboard concept. Everything you need to know about your account, your cases, and the newest news from Hawk Analytics, Inc, all in one place

Password Reset: Self-service password reset link can now be found on the login page

Improved Preservation Letter & Search Warrant Templates: New easy to use drop-down options enable you to enter/change the carrier, phone number, start & end times. This allows for a 100% complete document to be generated before printing

T-Mobile LTE Cell Site List: Drag and drop support for your LTE cell site lists from T-Mobile.

Enhanced Sprint Support: Added support for new Sprint NEID’s and updated the processing of Sprint CDR’s per the newest Sprint guidance.

Better Verizon: Ability to drag and drop Verizon PCMD, EVDO and VoLTE files without any excel work.

More AT&T: Support of the Mobility usage report .pdf without locations.

Customize Sector Display: Ability to combine edge lines and sector representation in one graphic

Less Excel Prep: Support of .xls files from all carriers.

Did you Know?

By now most of us probably know about AT&Ts NELOS, Verizon’s RTT, and Sprint & US Cellular PCMD reports –  but what does T-Mobile have?  It’s a fairly new report called TrueCall.

TrueCall reports come from the engineering side of the cellular network and are mostly used to help troubleshoot coverage areas and report back on potential dead spots, all with the intent to oversee and optimize the network.  Although not intended for law enforcement, these records still hold some valuable information.

TrueCall reports are very much similar to Verizon’s RTT report, in that they provide a plethora of information about usage events and locations.  These reports typically collect data for every usage event, to include technology details (e.g. voice, text, data), resource usage, and call failure information.  They can also collect data for incomplete calls (e.g. denied calls and set-up failures), to later be analyzed by a cellular engineer.

T-Mobile is running three networks just like the others:  Their 2/2.5G GSM GPRS, 3G UMTS/HSPA, and 4G LTE networks.  We have seen TrueCall reports from both their UMTS and LTE networks.
The most useful data in a TrueCall report are the date and time stamp, the cell site used, the sector used, an estimation of the phone’s location (Latitude and longitude), and the distance from the cell site at the time of the usage event.  The distance becomes a key piece to visualizing these datasets and with CellHawk it’s easy for you to map.

What about tower dumps?  Another shortcoming with tower dump search warrant templates is the stale boilerplate language.  Try adding Specialized Location Records to your tower dumps, and specifically TrueCall records for T-Mobile, and watch your tower dump investigations blow wide open.  Not only will you get the traditional usage events associated with the cell tower, you will now have Specialized Location Records for that activity, possibly placing a handset near your crime scene or area of interest.  Be forewarned, requesting Specialized Location Records with a tower dump may increase the overall cost billed to the agency.  Always verify cost before proceeding.

We have heard from some agencies that they had trouble obtaining TrueCall reports from T-Mobile.  If you end up in that situation, feel free to give us a call – we can guide you in the right direction.  If you have TrueCall reports, we’ll be happy to help you load them into CellHawk and help you understand them.  Contact our Support Team at support@hawkanalytics.com.

We now maintain and provide (for free to ALL law enforcement personnel) Preservation Letter and Search Warrant templates on our Support@Hawk website. These templates will ensure that you get all the records available to you.  Existing customers can log into Support@Hawk here with your CellHawk credentials.  Non-CellHawk users can register here for free access to our support site and take advantage of the many resources we make available, including the templates.

Case of the Quarter

Are you new to CellHawk or in need of a CellHawk refresher?  Do you want to hear about the latest CellHawk features and news?

Join us for our FREE one-hour training webinar!  We will cover all the features of CellHawk and show it in action with a real-life case study.  Various file formats and new features will also be covered.  Join your colleagues from across the country in this one-hour webinar.  Sharpen your investigative skills or learn new ones.  An opportunity will be provided to ask questions of our staff, and a certificate of completion will be provided.

Click HERE to pick the date and time that works best for you.

Upcoming Training

 

 

Upcoming Events

[/av_textblock]

Techno Security and Digital Forensics Conference

Myrtle Beach, SC

June 3rd – 6th

National Technical Investigators Association

Pheonix, AZ

July 14th – 19th

Crimes Against Children Conference

Dallas, TX

August 13th – 16th

[/av_textblock]

International Association of Special Investigation Units

Baltimore, MD

September 9th – 12th

International Association of Crime Analysts

Newport Beach, CA

September 17th – 21st

International Association of Chiefs of Police

Orlando, FL

October 6th – 9th

Meet a Hawk Member

Our customers are a part of the Hawk family and we feel it’s important for you to know the people you speak with on a regular basis. We pride ourselves on the high caliber and professionalism of our employees.

One of our members is Tim Smith, Director of Customer Success.

After graduating from Mercer University in Macon, GA Tim began his law enforcement career working for the Georgia Department of Parole as a Parole Officer. After a few years, Tim was hired into the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Federal Agent. In his career, Tim worked as a field agent in various locations such as Miami, Nassau, Jacksonville, and San Diego. In 2012 Tim retired as a supervisor in the DEA and transitioned to the private sector where he began working as the southwest account manager for Callyo.

Now, Tim is the Director of Customer Success of Hawk Analytics. His responsibilities include assisting our current customers to ensure that CellHawk is the best it can possibly be for them. Please join us in welcoming Tim to the Hawk team!

                    

 

CELLHAWK DEMO

To Learn More About CellHawk
EMAIL US
469-373-HAWK (4295)

… forward this email to a friend who should be using CellHawk!

Copyright © | 2017, Hawk Analytics | CellHawk, All Rights Reserved.

Our mailing address is:
2652 FM 407  | Suite 215-E  | Bartonville, TX 76226

 

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Hawk Analytics is currently looking for our next Customer Success Analyst! Don’t miss this chance to work with an awesome team, and join the thought leaders in cellular technology mapping, and analysis.

Customer Success Analyst

Position Summary: Hawk Analytics is looking for a qualified candidate to join our Customer Success Team.  This entry level position will focus on supporting the CellHawk customer base by aiding customers in using CellHawk to its fullest investigative capabilities. Duties also include assisting with internal office tasks and projects. Candidate will receive on-the-job training in cellular technology, mapping and analysis.

Responsibilities:

• Work with customers daily to ensure proper use of CellHawk in solving crimes
• Researching and posting relevant content to web forums, support pages and help manuals
• Account management and CRM maintenance
• Maintain monthly and yearly statistics to gauge customer needs
• Ensure high-level of customer satisfaction
• Additional projects as assigned by management
• Position will involve occasional travel

Skills:

• Strong Microsoft Excel background
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong grammar usage
• Ability to prioritize and multitask
• Customer service professionalism
• Ability to work independently and complete tasks in a timely manner
• Position will involve working with sensitive data. Candidate must have excellent moral character and be able to pass a background check

Education: Bachelor’s Degree or higher

Employment Type: Full-time

Preferred Experience:

• 2+ years customer support
• Experience using CRM tool
• Background in criminal justice or software disciplines

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, along with their resume, to nicole@hawkanalytics.com. For questions, call Nicole Poser, Director of Business Operations, at 469-373-4295 ext 702.

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Hawk Analytics is currently hiring Inside Sales Reps ! Don’t miss this chance to work with an awesome team, and join the thought leaders in cellular technology mapping, and analysis.

About:  Hawk Analytics is a SaaS firm that specializes in big data analysis and geographic mapping solutions using Call Detail Recording data from cellular providers. The company’s proprietary software – CellHawk – is used by local, state & federal law enforcement agencies to analyze data during investigations. Hawk Analytics has a proven track record of helping agencies save time, reduce costs and solve more crimes. More information about the company can be found at www.hawkanalytics.com.

Position Summary: Hawk Analytics has an immediate need for an experienced inside sales professional to sell B2B software solution, via an annual subscription, to clients in a clear, concise and professional manner.

Skill Set: The ideal candidate will have:

• 3+ years of proven inside sales experience with quota achievement
• Both inbound and out bound sales calls in a call-center environment
• Working knowledge of SaaS
• CRM experience required
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Work independently
• Law enforcement knowledge or background a plus
• Position involves working with sensitive data
• Pass a background check
• 4-year college degree preferred

This is an inside tele-sales position, Monday thru Friday in our Bartonville, TX. Office. Calls are 50% in-bound and 50% out-out-bound calling. Marketing drives in-bound calls. Business Development efforts drive out-bound calls. The lucrative compensation includes base salary plus commission ($100K at plan) with benefits. Interested candidates send resume to david@hawkanalytics.com and call David Wire, Chief Sales Officer at 469-373-4295 ext 701.

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CellHawk Updates

Over the past few months, we have updated CellHawk with some new features to save time such as the ability to customize sector display, better compatibility with Verizon files, and much more!

Some of the most recent updates include:

New Dashboard: We have integrated the case manager, agency account information, our popular phone lookup tool, and integrated content from Support@Hawk in our new dashboard concept. Everything you need to know about your account, your cases, and the newest news from Hawk Analytics, Inc, all in one place

Password Reset: Self-service password reset link can now be found on the login page

Improved Preservation Letter & Search Warrant Templates: New easy to use drop-down options enable you to enter/change the carrier, phone number, start & end times. This allows for a 100% complete document to be generated before printing

T-Mobile LTE Cell Site List: Drag and drop support for your LTE cell site lists from T-Mobile.

Enhanced Sprint Support: Added support for new Sprint NEID’s and updated the processing of Sprint CDR’s per the newest Sprint guidance.

Better Verizon: Ability to drag and drop Verizon PCMD, EVDO and VoLTE files without any excel work.

More AT&T: Support of the Mobility usage report .pdf without locations.

Customize Sector Display: Ability to combine edge lines and sector representation in one graphic

Less Excel Prep: Support of .xls files from all carriers.

Did you Know?

By now most of us probably know about AT&Ts NELOS, Verizon’s RTT, and Sprint & US Cellular PCMD reports –  but what does T-Mobile have?  It’s a fairly new report called TrueCall.

TrueCall reports come from the engineering side of the cellular network and are mostly used to help troubleshoot coverage areas and report back on potential dead spots, all with the intent to oversee and optimize the network.  Although not intended for law enforcement, these records still hold some valuable information.

TrueCall reports are very much similar to Verizon’s RTT report, in that they provide a plethora of information about usage events and locations.  These reports typically collect data for every usage event, to include technology details (e.g. voice, text, data), resource usage, and call failure information.  They can also collect data for incomplete calls (e.g. denied calls and set-up failures), to later be analyzed by a cellular engineer.

T-Mobile is running three networks just like the others:  Their 2/2.5G GSM GPRS, 3G UMTS/HSPA, and 4G LTE networks.  We have seen TrueCall reports from both their UMTS and LTE networks.
The most useful data in a TrueCall report are the date and time stamp, the cell site used, the sector used, an estimation of the phone’s location (Latitude and longitude), and the distance from the cell site at the time of the usage event.  The distance becomes a key piece to visualizing these datasets and with CellHawk it’s easy for you to map.

What about tower dumps?  Another shortcoming with tower dump search warrant templates is the stale boilerplate language.  Try adding Specialized Location Records to your tower dumps, and specifically TrueCall records for T-Mobile, and watch your tower dump investigations blow wide open.  Not only will you get the traditional usage events associated with the cell tower, you will now have Specialized Location Records for that activity, possibly placing a handset near your crime scene or area of interest.  Be forewarned, requesting Specialized Location Records with a tower dump may increase the overall cost billed to the agency.  Always verify cost before proceeding.

We have heard from some agencies that they had trouble obtaining TrueCall reports from T-Mobile.  If you end up in that situation, feel free to give us a call – we can guide you in the right direction.  If you have TrueCall reports, we’ll be happy to help you load them into CellHawk and help you understand them.  Contact our Support Team at support@hawkanalytics.com.

We now maintain and provide (for free to ALL law enforcement personnel) Preservation Letter and Search Warrant templates on our Support@Hawk website. These templates will ensure that you get all the records available to you.  Existing customers can log into Support@Hawk here with your CellHawk credentials.  Non-CellHawk users can register here for free access to our support site and take advantage of the many resources we make available, including the templates.

Case of the Quarter

Are you new to CellHawk or in need of a CellHawk refresher?  Do you want to hear about the latest CellHawk features and news?

Join us for our FREE one-hour training webinar!  We will cover all the features of CellHawk and show it in action with a real-life case study.  Various file formats and new features will also be covered.  Join your colleagues from across the country in this one-hour webinar.  Sharpen your investigative skills or learn new ones.  An opportunity will be provided to ask questions of our staff, and a certificate of completion will be provided.

Click HERE to pick the date and time that works best for you.

Upcoming Training

 

 

Upcoming Events

[/av_textblock]

Techno Security and Digital Forensics Conference

Myrtle Beach, SC

June 3rd – 6th

National Technical Investigators Association

Pheonix, AZ

July 14th – 19th

Crimes Against Children Conference

Dallas, TX

August 13th – 16th

[/av_textblock]

International Association of Special Investigation Units

Baltimore, MD

September 9th – 12th

International Association of Crime Analysts

Newport Beach, CA

September 17th – 21st

International Association of Chiefs of Police

Orlando, FL

October 6th – 9th

Meet a Hawk Member

Our customers are a part of the Hawk family and we feel it’s important for you to know the people you speak with on a regular basis. We pride ourselves on the high caliber and professionalism of our employees.

One of our members is Tim Smith, Director of Customer Success.

After graduating from Mercer University in Macon, GA Tim began his law enforcement career working for the Georgia Department of Parole as a Parole Officer. After a few years, Tim was hired into the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Federal Agent. In his career, Tim worked as a field agent in various locations such as Miami, Nassau, Jacksonville, and San Diego. In 2012 Tim retired as a supervisor in the DEA and transitioned to the private sector where he began working as the southwest account manager for Callyo.

Now, Tim is the Director of Customer Success of Hawk Analytics. His responsibilities include assisting our current customers to ensure that CellHawk is the best it can possibly be for them. Please join us in welcoming Tim to the Hawk team!

                    

 

CELLHAWK DEMO

To Learn More About CellHawk
EMAIL US
469-373-HAWK (4295)

… forward this email to a friend who should be using CellHawk!

Copyright © | 2017, Hawk Analytics | CellHawk, All Rights Reserved.

Our mailing address is:
2652 FM 407  | Suite 215-E  | Bartonville, TX 76226

 

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The Hawks Nest is a blog created to help law enforcement successfully use and understand communication and location records in their investigations. Since 2013 Hawk Analytics has been assisting investigators in closing more cases using call detail records (CDR’s), tower and internet records, GPS information, social media, and live ping data.

Our blog is written by industry Subject Matter Experts that have over 75 combined years analyzing cellular records and 160 years in the federal, state, and local levels of law enforcement ranging from command staff to analytical levels!  Travel with Hawk Analytics on our journey navigating and mastering the rapidly evolving technology world around us!

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A Distribute Antenna System (DAS) is a cell site configuration when cellular companies separate antennas from a specific tower and relocate those antennas in the areas around the tower to provide better signal coverage to places that would not be covered enough by a single group of antennas at one location.

DAS sites can be recognized in the service provider’s cell site lists by reviewing the cell sites numbers and comparing the latitudes and longitudes of the different sectors (or antennas). If the same cell site number is located at two or more different places according to the latitude and longitude this is a good indication that cell site has distributed antennas. (It should be noted that minor location differences is 500 feet or less area normal, and could be simply measurements taken by the engineer in different places around the base of the tower.

DAS configurations are common along a road in a valley where one cell site can’t produce signal to all the areas on the winding road in the valley, so antennas for that tower are placed in different spots along the road to provide the coverage but all antennas linked back to one cell site location. In this scenario the cell site name used in the CDR would be depicted as the main location of the cell site not the locations of the antenna.

Another example of where DAS antennas are frequently used is in subway systems. Because one cell site cannot produce signal in all areas of the subway line, antennas from one cell site are distributed along the path of the subway. Again, the historical records would indicate the phone used a cell site some where along the subway line, but the phone could have used any of antennas placed through the subway.

Additionally, DAS cell site configurations can be used anywhere the engineers need to provide better coverage and need to spread out the antennas. I have seen these in highly populated areas of large cities like Los Angeles covering dense housing areas.

Example of a DAS site in Metro PCS’s cell site list. Notice cell site 441 has several different latitudes and longitudes listed.

 

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If you’re new to working with cellular call detail records, you may soon realize that there is no shortage of acronyms in this field and may find it difficult keep all the terms straight. Analyzing call detail records is a skill that takes time to refine and fully understand. One thing I particularly struggled with when I first started analyzing CDRs was knowing the difference between 3G and 4G terminology, how the carriers label their cell sites and more importantly, how to interpret what I was looking at in CellHawk. Here is a simplified explanation of what I learned along the way…

The first thing you’ll need to know is that each of the cellular providers’ networks have advanced over the years, with each generation of technology providing more capabilities and faster speeds of data transfers. These generations of technology are referred to as 2G, 3G, 4G and most recently, 5G. The cellular networks started off only allowing voice calls to be transmitted. As the technology improved, we started seeing the 2G and 3G networks. Then, 4G came along, which is often referred to as LTE (or long-term evolution). In recent months, the cellular providers have started releasing their newest and fastest network yet, 5G.

When 2G and 3G networks were deployed, the network configurations were divided into two categories, with each provider choosing one over the other.

In the 2G days, AT&T and T-Mobile decided to go with the network referred to as GSM or Global System for Cellular Management. When 3G was introduced, they referred to the network as UMTS or Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service. In both generations, you’ll see their cell sites referred to as a LAC and CID. LAC means Location Area Code, which is a group of cell towers. And CID stands for Cell Identification, referring to the cell number and sometimes a sector. In other words, the CID tells you where the antenna is located and which direction it faced.

Sprint, Verizon and US Cellular opted for the CDMA network or Code Division Multiple Access. This is when you see the cell sites provided in terms of switch, cell, and sector. The switch is a section of the network that controls a group cell towers. The cell refers to the “tower” or structure where the antenna is located. And the sector refers to the direction the antenna faced.

When the LTE network was introduced, all carriers began using completely different terminology to refer to their cell sites, but the good thing is that they all use the same basic terms. When mapping LTE records, you’ll see the cell sites referred to as eNodeBs and Cell IDs. The eNodeB is the Enhanced NodeB and it references a group of antennas on a cell tower. The eNodeB alone does not identify the sector. To identify the sector or direction the specific antenna faced, you’ll need to refer to the Cell ID.

Some other common terms you may see when the cellular providers refer to their cell sites are: CGI, ECGI, and ECI. Here are their definitions:

• CGI: Cell Global Identification. This number is used in the GSM and UMTS networks and is a combination of the MCC (Mobile Country Code), MNC (Mobile Network Code), LAC (Location Area Code) and the CI (Cell Identity).
  • The Mobile Country Code identifies the country where that cell site is located.
  • The Mobile Network Code identifies which cellular company that cell site belongs to.
• ECGI: Extended Cell Global Identification. This term is used in the LTE network for a cell tower. This number consists of the MCC, MNC, eNodeB and Cell ID.
• ECI: An abbreviation of ECGI. It stands for Extended Cell identification.

It should be noted that upon appearance, these numbers do not look like they include any LAC/CID or eNodeB/Cell ID combinations that can be found in a cell site list. This is because these numbers have undergone a mathematical conversion and will need to be converted again to extract the specific cell site information to be looked up in the cell site list.

And lastly, there is the 5G network. This network is very new and is only available in certain cities or regions of the country. 5G is touted has being the fastest network with an increased capacity and availability to ultimately provide a seamless and improved experience on the cellular network. We have yet to see how the 5G network will affect call detail records, if there’s any difference at all.

So, there you have it… a simplified look at the different generations of cellular technology and how cellular providers label their cell sites to help you understand how to map your call detail records. The information provided is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fully understanding cellular analysis. If you would like to learn more, this topic is covered in much more detail in our Cellular Technology, Mapping and Analysis Course. Please visit…. for more information on the course.

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